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Bacterial Transcription

Bacterial Transcription

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:

Transcription Elongation Factors

Transcription Elongation Factors

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...

Transcription Elongation Factors

Transcription Elongation Factors

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Transcription Initiation

Transcription Initiation

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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Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events

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Published on: May 13, 2019

RNA Polymerase Pausing during Initial Transcription.

Diego Duchi¹, David L V Bauer¹, Laurent Fernandez¹

¹Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.

|September 13, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bacterial RNA polymerase pauses during transcription initiation, particularly after synthesizing a 6-nucleotide RNA. This pause, influenced by the sigma 3.2 region, acts as a regulatory checkpoint before promoter escape.

Keywords:

DNA scrunching RNA polymerase initial transcription promoter escape single-molecule FRET transcriptional pausing

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Measuring the Kinetics of mRNA Transcription in Single Living Cells

Measuring the Kinetics of mRNA Transcription in Single Living Cells

Published on: August 25, 2011

Area of Science:

Molecular biology
Microbiology
Biochemistry

Background:

Bacterial transcription initiation involves synthesizing short RNA transcripts.
The precise mechanism of initial transcription and promoter escape remains incompletely understood.
Transient intermediates and molecular heterogeneity complicate the study of this process.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanism of initial transcription in bacteria using a lac promoter.
To identify key pausing determinants during the transition from abortive initiation to promoter escape.
To elucidate the role of DNA scrunching and the sigma 3.2 region in transcription regulation.

Main Methods:

Single-molecule fluorescence observations of DNA scrunching.
Studying immobilized bacterial transcription complexes.
Analysis of RNA polymerase pausing dynamics.

Main Results:

A significant "initiation pause" of approximately 20 seconds was observed after the synthesis of a 6-nucleotide RNA.
The sigma 3.2 region, involved in blocking the RNA exit channel, was identified as a major determinant of this pause.
Evidence for RNA backtracking during abortive initiation and additional pausing before promoter escape was obtained.

Conclusions:

Bacterial transcription initiation involves critical pausing events that can serve as regulatory checkpoints.
The transition from 6- to 7-nucleotide RNA synthesis is tightly regulated by multiple factors, including the sigma 3.2 region.
A comprehensive model for initial transcription is proposed, highlighting the role of pausing in controlling promoter escape.