Common mechanisms of promoter recognition by RNA polymerases II and III

Recent results indicate that RNA polymerase III can use upstream promoters that are structurally and functionally very similar to those recognized by RNA polymerase II. The demonstration that RNA polymerases II and III can use the same transcription factors emphasizes the fundamental similarities between these distinct activities. It is also clear now that transcription factors can be functionally interchanged between distantly related species, indicating that the basic structures involved in promoter recognition are highly conserved throughout evolution.