Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Probing mRNA Kinetics in Space and Time in Escherichia coli using Two-Color Single-Molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Published on: July 30, 2020
Measuring In Vivo Supercoil Dynamics and Transcription Elongation Rates in Bacterial Chromosomes
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Kaul Human Genetics Bldg. 524A, 720 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA. nphiggin@uab.edu.
Abstract:
DNA gyrase is the only topoisomerase that can catalytically introduce negative supercoils into covalently closed DNA. The enzyme plays a critical role in many phases of DNA biochemistry. There are only a few methods that allow one to measure supercoiling in chromosomal DNA and analyze the role of gyrase in transcription and its interaction with the other three bacterial topoisomerases. Here, we provide molecular tools for measuring supercoil density in the chromosome and for connecting the dots between transcription and DNA topology.
Related Concept Videos
Transcription Elongation Factors
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...
Replication in Prokaryotes
Many Proteins Work Together to Replicate the Chromosome
Replication is coordinated and carried out by a host of specialized...
Replication in Prokaryotes
Chromatin Packaging
Coordination of Gene Expression Processes in Bacteria
Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes
There are several different mechanisms used to attenuate transcription. In ribosome mediated...

