An Introduction to the Structure and Function of the Catalytic Core Enzyme of Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase

Abstract

RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the essential enzyme responsible for transcribing the genetic information stored in DNA to RNA. Understanding the structure and function of RNAP is important for those who study basic principles in gene expression, such as the mechanisms of transcription and its regulation, as well as translational sciences such as antibiotic development. With over a half-century of investigations, there is a wealth of information available on the structure and function of Escherichia coli RNAP. This review introduces the structural features of E. coli RNAP, organized by subunit, giving information on the function, location, and conservation of these features to early stage investigators who have just started their research of E. coli RNAP.

The moderating role of population succession in the adaptive responses of Synechococcus assemblages: evidence from light intensity simulation experiment

“…Furthermore, other genes encoding the RNA polymerase subunits alpha (rpoA) and beta (rpoB) were found to be downregulated. The key function of rpoA is RNA polymerase assembly (Lee et al 2012), while rpoB and rpoC1 may collaborate to bind DNA and RNA or synthesize RNA (Sutherland and Murakami 2018). Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that certain changes occur in the process of transcribing the genetic information stored in DNA to RNA under a gradient of light intensity.…”

Proteomic Analysis of Stationary Growth Stage Adaptation and Nutritional Deficiency Response of Brucella abortus

“…Two components of RNA polymerase (RNAP) core enzymes, rpoB and rpoC, were repressed in the stationary phase. RNAP core enzymes participate in the synthesis of various RNAs and play an important role in the bacterial transcription process (Sutherland and Murakami, 2018). Three proteins, described as the cold shock DNA-binding domain, encoded by BAB1_1284 and BAB1_1512, respectively, showed reduced expression levels.…”

Minor Alterations in Core Promoter Element Positioning Reveal Functional Plasticity of a Bacterial Transcription Factor

“…Transcriptional regulation, which is orchestrated by transcription factors and RNA polymerase, is a vital process in all living organisms in order to achieve appropriate levels of gene expression. In bacteria, the core RNA polymerase is composed of β, β′, ω, and two α subunits, and transcription initiation requires core RNA polymerase to associate with a σ specificity factor ( 1 – 5 ). In Escherichia coli , the housekeeping sigma factor, σ 70 , recognizes promoters containing two conserved hexamers that are positioned around bp −10 ( −12 TATAAT −7 ) and bp −35 ( −35 TTGACA −30 ) relative to the transcription start site and are separated by an optimal spacing of 17 bp ( 6 , 7 ).…”