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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
Published on: May 13, 2019
The Promoter-Proximal Pause: A Decision Point Governing RNA Polymerase II Fate
Usman Hyder1, David L Bentley1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA;
Abstract:
A signature feature of transcription on most genes in multicellular animals is that RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) piles up approximately 50 bases downstream of the start site at the promoter-proximal pause (PPP). Promoter-proximal pausing is controlled by positive and negative elongation factors that associate with RNAPII. There are two major outcomes for promoter-proximally paused RNAPII complexes: release into the gene body and premature termination. Here we discuss how RNAPII dynamics at the PPP function in a quality control checkpoint and in regulation of RNAPII flux through genes. We propose a pause release-attenuation model to describe RNAPII dynamics at the PPP.
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