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Transcription Initiation01:47

Transcription Initiation

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Initiation is the first step of transcription in eukaryotes. Prokaryotic RNA Polymerase (RNAP) can bind to the template DNA and start transcribing. On the other hand, transcription in eukaryotes requires additional proteins, called transcription factors, to first bind to the promoter region in the DNA template. This binding helps recruit the specific RNAP that can assemble on the DNA and start transcription.
The promoters and enhancers and their accessory proteins allow tight regulation of...
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Bacterial Transcription01:53

Bacterial Transcription

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RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. So, transcription and translation occur simultaneously, on the same DNA template.
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:
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Transcription Elongation Factors02:35

Transcription Elongation Factors

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Transcription elongation is a dynamic process that alters depending upon the sequence heterogeneity of the DNA being transcribed. Hence, it is not surprising that the elongation complex's composition also varies along the way while transcribing a gene.
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA...
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The DNA Replication Fork01:02

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An organism’s genome needs to be duplicated in an efficient and error-free manner for its growth and survival. The replication fork is a Y-shaped active region where two strands of DNA are separated and replicated continuously. The coupling of DNA unzipping and complementary strand synthesis is a characteristic feature of a replication fork.   Organisms with small circular DNA, such as E. coli, often have a single origin of replication; therefore, they have only two replication...
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The DNA Replication Fork01:02

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Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
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Transcription initiation complex structures elucidate DNA opening.

C Plaschka1, M Hantsche1, C Dienemann1

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.

Nature
|May 20, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to visualize yeast transcription initiation complexes. They revealed how DNA opens and is trapped during gene activation, providing a unified model for transcription initiation.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Eukaryotic gene transcription initiation involves RNA polymerase (Pol) II complex assembly and promoter DNA opening.
  • Understanding the precise structural mechanisms of this process is crucial for deciphering gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the high-resolution structures of yeast transcription initiation complexes at different DNA states (closed and open).
  • To elucidate the molecular interactions governing DNA positioning, opening, and template strand loading during transcription initiation.

Main Methods:

  • Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was employed to obtain structures of yeast initiation complexes.
  • High-resolution structural data (8.8 Å and 3.6 Å) were achieved for complexes with closed and open DNA, respectively.

Main Results:

  • Detailed structures revealed how TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) and transcription factors (TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIIE, TFIIF) position and retain DNA within the Pol II cleft.
  • DNA opening was observed near the Pol II clamp and TFIIE's 'extended winged helix' domain, independent of TFIIH.
  • Allosteric binding of TFIIE's 'E-ribbon' domain may facilitate template strand loading by repositioning obstructing protein elements.

Conclusions:

  • A unified model for transcription initiation is proposed, highlighting the trapping of open promoter DNA via extensive protein-DNA and protein-protein contacts.
  • The findings provide critical structural insights into the early events of eukaryotic gene transcription.