Termination signals induce rapid and irreversible dissociation of the nascent transcript from
RNA polymerase. Terminators at the end of genes prevent unintended transcription into the …

Transcription initiation is a highly regulated step of gene expression. Here, we discuss the
series of large conformational changes set in motion by initial specific binding of bacterial …

The RNA polymerase elongation complex (EC) is both highly stable and processive, rapidly
extending RNA chains for thousands of nucleotides. Understanding the mechanisms of …

Rifamycins, the clinically important antibiotics, target bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP). A
proposed mechanism in which rifamycins sterically block the extension of nascent RNA …

The primary function of RNA polymerase (RNAP) is to produce RNA transcripts optimal for a
given environmental or developmental state of a cell. RNAP accomplishes this selection by …

Transcript elongation by RNA polymerase is discontinuous and interrupted by pauses that
play key regulatory roles. We show here that two different classes of pause signals punctuate …

Bacterial transcription is regulated by the alarmone ppGpp, which binds near the catalytic site
of RNA polymerase (RNAP) and modulates its activity. We show that the DksA protein is a …

The mechanism of substrate loading in multisubunit RNA polymerase is crucial for understanding
the general principles of transcription yet remains hotly debated. Here we report the 3.0…

Guanosine-tetraphosphate (ppGpp) is a major regulator of stringent control, an adaptive
response of bacteria to amino acid starvation. The 2.7 Å resolution structure of the Thermus …

Modulation of the structure of a leader RNA to control formation of an intrinsic termination
signal is a common mechanism for regulation of gene expression in bacteria. Expression of the …