Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
07:18
Application of Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) for Studying Protein-Protein Interactions in Transcription
Published on: July 26, 2019
Structure-based prokaryotic transcription shapes adaptation and host-invader interplay
1College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
Trends in Microbiology
|June 11, 2026
Summary
Prokaryotes dynamically regulate gene expression using transcription factors and nucleoid-associated proteins that remodel DNA. This review explores structural insights into these mechanisms, crucial for bacterial adaptation and phage interactions.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Prokaryotic gene regulation relies on dynamic interactions between transcription machinery and the nucleoid.
- Environmental changes necessitate reprogramming of RNA polymerase (RNAP) using sigma (σ) factors and transcription factors (TFs).
- Bacteriophages hijack host gene expression by exploiting these regulatory pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent structural insights into transcriptional regulation in prokaryotes.
- To highlight the role of TFs and nucleoid-associated proteins in DNA remodeling.
- To connect these mechanisms to prokaryotic adaptation and host-phage interactions.
Main Methods:
- Structural analysis of transcription machinery and DNA-protein complexes.
- Review of recent literature on prokaryotic gene regulation.
- Integration of structural data with functional studies.
Main Results:
- TFs and nucleoid-associated proteins act as "architects" remodeling DNA structure.
- A blurred distinction exists between site-specific regulators and global genome organizers.
- Perturbing transcriptional architecture has profound biological impacts.
Conclusions:
- Understanding DNA remodeling is key to prokaryotic gene regulation.
- These mechanisms are central to bacterial stress responses and host-pathogen dynamics.
- Structural insights provide a deeper understanding of transcriptional control.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Transduction
Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome are...
02:42Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes
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...
There are several different mechanisms used to attenuate transcription. In ribosome mediated...
01:58Prokaryotic Transcriptional Activators and Repressors
The organization of prokaryotic genes in their genome is notably different from that of eukaryotes. Prokaryotic genes are organized, such that the genes for proteins involved in the same biochemical process or function are located together in groups. This group of genes, along with their regulatory elements, are collectively known as an operon. The functional genes in an operon are transcribed together to give a single strand of mRNA known as polycistronic mRNA.
Transcription of prokaryotic...
Transcription of prokaryotic...
01:58Prokaryotic Transcriptional Activators and Repressors
The organization of prokaryotic genes in their genome is notably different from that of eukaryotes. Prokaryotic genes are organized, such that the genes for proteins involved in the same biochemical process or function are located together in groups. This group of genes, along with their regulatory elements, are collectively known as an operon. The functional genes in an operon are transcribed together to give a single strand of mRNA known as polycistronic mRNA.
Transcription of prokaryotic...
Transcription of prokaryotic...
01:28Transcription in Prokaryotes
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 box)...
01:53Bacterial Transcription
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:
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are: