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Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is conserved in all animals, with bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic RNAPs sharing significant sequence, structural, and functional similarities. Among the three eukaryotic RNAPs, RNA Polymerase II is most similar to bacterial RNAP in terms of both structural organization and folding topologies of the enzyme subunits. However, these similarities are not reflected in their mechanism of action.
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

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...

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

General Transcription Factors

General Transcription Factors

Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

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

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

Published on: May 13, 2019

Conserved RNA polymerase II initiation complex structure.

Merle Hantsche¹, Patrick Cramer¹

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

Current Opinion in Structural Biology

|April 25, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Atomic models reveal conserved eukaryotic transcription machinery. Cryo-electron microscopy shows RNA polymerase (Pol) II and basal transcription factors are nearly identical across species, highlighting conserved biological processes.

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Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

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Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Structural Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Transcription initiation is a fundamental biological process regulated by a large complex of proteins.
Understanding the structure of the transcription machinery is crucial for deciphering gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the atomic structure of the core transcription initiation complex.
To compare yeast and human initiation complexes to assess evolutionary conservation.

Main Methods:

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was used to generate high-resolution structures.
Atomic models were built and refined based on the cryo-EM data.

Main Results:

Atomic models of the core transcription initiation complex (RNA polymerase II and basal transcription factors) were obtained.
Comparison of yeast and human complexes revealed striking structural identity, indicating high conservation.
Additional factors (TFIID, TFIIH, Mediator) were localized to the periphery, defining the overall topology.

Conclusions:

The core eukaryotic transcription machinery is highly conserved across species.
Cryo-EM provides unprecedented atomic detail of large, dynamic molecular machines.
The study provides a comprehensive structural framework for the entire transcription initiation assembly.