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Related Concept Videos

Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes02:42

Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes

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Transcriptional attenuation occurs when RNA transcription is prematurely terminated due to the formation of a terminator mRNA hairpin structure.  Bacteria use these hairpins to regulate the transcription process and control the synthesis of several amino acids including histidine, lysine, threonine, and phenylalanine. Transcription attenuation takes place in the non-coding regions of mRNA.
There are several different mechanisms used to attenuate transcription. In ribosome mediated...
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Transcription in Prokaryotes01:28

Transcription in Prokaryotes

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Transcription is a highly regulated process that converts genetic information into RNA molecules. The transcription cycle is divided into three key stages: initiation, elongation, and termination, each driven by specific molecular mechanisms.Initiation of TranscriptionIn bacteria, transcription begins when the RNA polymerase core enzyme associates with a sigma factor to form a holoenzyme. For example, the E. coli sigma factor called σ70 forms a holoenzyme, which recognizes the -10 (Pribnow...
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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 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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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...
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Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases00:58

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

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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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2025

Analysis of Termination of Transcription Using BrUTP-strand-specific Transcription Run-on TRO Approach
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Analysis of Termination of Transcription Using BrUTP-strand-specific Transcription Run-on TRO Approach

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Structural basis for intrinsic transcription termination.

Linlin You1,2, Expery O Omollo3, Chengzhi Yu1,2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.

Nature
|January 11, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers visualized bacterial intrinsic termination, revealing how RNA polymerase pauses, folds RNA hairpins, and rewinds DNA to release RNA. This structural mechanism is key for gene transcription termination in all organisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Gene transcription requires efficient and accurate termination in all organisms.
  • Factor-independent intrinsic termination is a conserved pathway in bacteria and eukaryotes.
  • This process involves RNA polymerase recognizing terminator sequences and releasing nascent RNA.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structural mechanism of bacterial intrinsic termination.
  • To visualize intermediate states of the transcription termination complex.
  • To understand the pathway of RNA release and DNA collapse.

Main Methods:

  • Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
  • Structural analysis of *Escherichia coli* transcription termination complexes.
  • Visualization of key intermediate states.

Main Results:

  • Detailed structures of *E. coli* transcription intrinsic termination complexes were obtained.
  • Mechanisms of RNA polymerase pausing at terminator sequences were revealed.
  • The folding of terminator RNA hairpins and DNA rewinding during RNA release were visualized.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive structural mechanism for bacterial intrinsic termination has been defined.
  • The study provides insights into RNA release and DNA collapse relevant to factor-independent termination.
  • These findings are applicable to RNA polymerases across all life forms.