RNA Polymerase's Relationship with the Ribosome: Not So Physical, Most of the Time

In bacteria, the rates of transcription elongation and translation elongation are coordinated, changing together in response to growth conditions. It has been proposed that this is due to physical coupling of RNA polymerase and the lead ribosome on nascent mRNA, an interaction important for preventing premature transcription termination by Rho factor. Recent studies challenge this view and provide evidence that coordination is indirect, mediated in Escherichia coli by the alarmone (p)ppGpp. Here, we discuss these new findings and how they shape our understanding of the functional relationship between RNA polymerase and the ribosome as well as the basis of transcriptional polarity.