RNA polymerase: in search of promoters

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1293; no. 1; pp. 25 - 32
• Main Author: Feklistov, Andrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Bacterial Proteins - chemistry; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; DNA - chemistry; DNA - metabolism; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - metabolism; DNA, Single-Stranded - chemistry; DNA, Single-Stranded - metabolism; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases - chemistry; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases - metabolism; Gene expression; Humans; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; promoter; Promoter Regions, Genetic; protein-DNA recognition; RNA polymerase; Sigma Factor - chemistry; Sigma Factor - metabolism; transcription; Transcription, Genetic; promoter; RNA polymerase; transcription; protein-DNA recognition
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12197

Transcription initiation is a key event in the regulation of gene expression. RNA polymerase (RNAP), the central enzyme of transcription, is able to efficiently locate promoters in the genome, carry out promoter opening, and initiate RNA synthesis. All the substeps of transcription initiation are subject to complex cellular regulation. Understanding the molecular details of each step in the promoter‐opening pathway is essential for a complete mechanistic and quantitative picture of gene expression. In this minireview, primarily using bacterial RNAP as an example, I briefly summarize some of the key recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of promoter search and promoter opening.