A small intergenic region drives exclusive tissue-specific expression of the adjacent genes in Arabidopsis thaliana Oct 17, 2009
Transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II is unidirectional from most genes. In plants, divergent genes, defined as non-overlapping genes organized head-to-head, are highly represented in the Arabidopsis genome. (BioMed Central)
How RNA polymerase II gets the go-ahead for gene transcription Oct 10, 2009
In today's issue of the journal Nature, a team of researchers at the Gene Center of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt (LMU) in Munich, led by Professor Patrick Cramer, provides the first detailed description of how the RNA polymerase II initiates gene transcription ... The basic structure of RNA polymerase II, the protein complex that transcribes genes encoding proteins in multicellular organisms, was worked out some years ago, but this structure could not explain how the initial steps in... (EurekAlert!)
A New Class of Antibiotics Could Offer Hope Against TB Oct 1, 2009
But myxopyronin works by interfering with the enzyme RNA polymerase, which controls gene transcription in cells and is necessary for cell survival, dormant or not. Rifamycins, the main drugs currently used to treat tuberculosis, attack the same RNA polymerase target, but at a different site. (Time.com)
RNA: Protein Regulators Are Themselves Regulated Sep 14, 2009
13, 2009) RNAs, serving as a mere intermediary between DNA and proteins, were long regarded as a poor relation by researchers, attracting little interest. However, following the discovery of small RNAs known as microRNAs, they have increasingly been moving into the limelight. (Science Daily)
Model Explains Disorders Caused By Improper Transmission Of Chromosomes Aug 19, 2009
3, 2007) Scientists reveal a surprising new role for tDNAs and RNA polymerase III-associated proteins in sister chromatid cohesion. Sister chromatid cohesion (the binding together of the two identical copies. (Science Daily)
Gene Transcribing Machine Takes Halting, Backsliding Trip Along The DNA Aug 10, 2009
These proteins, called RNA polymerase II (Pol II), slide along the DNA's double helix, reading the genetic code and transcribing it into RNA, which is used as a blueprint to build proteins or as a switch to regulate other genes ... RNA polymerase II (blue) performs the first step of gene expression by moving along the cell's DNA (gray) and transcribing it into messenger RNA (red). (Science Daily)
Transcription control in oocytes Aug 5, 2009
Using an altered binding specificity mutant reporter system we show that TBP2 promotes RNA polymerase II transcription in vivo. Intriguingly, TBP, which in oocytes is undetectable at the protein level, can functionally replace TBP2 when ectopically expressed in oocytes, showing that switching of initiation factors can be driven by changes in their expression. (BioMed Central)
New Location Found For Regulation Of RNA Fate Aug 2, 2009
(June 26, 2009) Scientists have identified the enzyme TFIIH kinase as an important factor in the epigenetic regulation of the cell nucleus enzyme RNA polymerase II. The findings constitute a further building block. (Mar. (Science Daily)
DNA Repair Mechanisms Jul 20, 2009
Repair has been linked to RNA polymerase II, the enzyme that builds the RNA strand during transcription. This indicated that there is potential for correcting errors as the transcription machinery runs into chemically altered bases that are not binding correctly. (Suite101.com)
One Secret To How TB Sticks With You Jul 14, 2009
That protein ratchets down transcription of the genes encoding ribosomal RNA (rRNA) by directly binding RNA polymerase, the cellular machinery that transcribes DNA into RNA. rRNA is the central component of the ribosomes that serve as the cell's protein factories, and, Glickman explained, its production accounts for some 90 percent of all transcription ... Drugs that target CarD's interaction with RNA polymerase could therefore lead to sorely needed, new TB drugs, the researchers said. (Science Daily)
Why H1N1 Flu Spreads Inefficiently Jul 4, 2009
Recent studies have shown that a viral RNA polymerase known as PB2 is critical for efficient influenza transmissibility. (RNA polymerase controls the viruses' replication once they infect a host. (Science Daily)
New Piece Found In The Puzzle Of Epigenetics: Mechanism Of Fine Regulation Of RNA Synthesis Elucidated Jun 26, 2009
nchen has identified the enzyme TFIIH kinase as an important factor in the epigenetic regulation of the cell nucleus enzyme RNA polymerase II. The findings, recently published in the journal Molecular Cell, constitute a further building block for understanding the pathomechanisms of cancer and other diseases ... The scientists were interested in the fine regulation of the cell nucleus enzyme RNA polymerase II. This transcribes the genetic information of the genetic substance DNA into messenger... (Science Daily)
Characterization of the Zur regulon and direct Zur targetsin Yersinia pestis Jun 25, 2009
Zur binding sites overlapped the -10 sequence of its target promoters, which was consistent with the previous observation that Zur binding would block the entry of the RNA polymerase to repress the transcription of its target genes. Conclusion. (BioMed Central)
Molecular Typesetting: How Errors Are Corrected While Proteins Are Being Built Jun 24, 2009
To create a protein, the first step involves copying the relevant gene on our DNA onto a template, called RNA. This copying process is carried out by molecular machines called RNA polymerases. The RNA polymerase acts like an old fashioned newsprint typesetter, constructing newsprint by assembling letters one at a time ... Similarly, RNA polymerase constructs RNA by reading the DNA and adding new letters to the RNA one at a time, explains Dr Cohen. (Science Daily)
TRAPping Proteins That Work Together Inside Living Cells Jun 18, 2009
Using the new tool, the scientists have discovered new details about a well-studied complex of proteins known as RNA polymerase ... To demonstrate how well this method works, Mayer and colleagues tested it out on RNA polymerase, a well-studied machine in cells ... No one knew if this tail -- also known as the C-terminus of the alpha subunit -- touches anything else in the core of the RNA polymerase complex. (Science Daily)
Cellular Circuits Engineered To Count Events May 29, 2009
With the first stimulus for example, an influx of sugar into the cell the cell produces the first protein in the sequence, an RNA polymerase (an enzyme that controls transcription of another gene). During the second influx, the first RNA polymerase initiates production of the second protein, a different RNA polymerase ... The number of steps in the sequence is, in theory, limited only by the number of distinct bacterial RNA polymerases. (Science Daily)
Viroids: Molecular Vestiges Of The RNA World May 18, 2009
Viroids replicate through an RNA-based rolling circle mechanism with three steps: i) synthesis of longer-than-unit strands catalyzed by a host nuclear or chloroplastic RNA polymerase that reiteratively transcribes the initial circular template, ii) processing to unit-length, which remarkably is mediated by hammerhead ribozymes in the family Avsunviroidae, and iii) and circularization resulting from the action of an RNA ligase or from self-ligation. Among the many pending issues, how viroids... (Science Daily)
Optimer Pharmaceuticals Presents Results From Fidaxomicin Phase 3 Study for the Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection May 17, 2009
Fidaxomicin is the first in a new class of antibiotics called macrocyclics, which inhibit the bacterial enzyme RNA polymerase, resulting in the death of Clostridium difficile. The narrow spectrum profile of fidaxomicin may eradicate Clostridium difficile selectively with minimal disruption to the normal intestinal flora. (PR Newswire)
Macromolecules Made from Activated ... Apr 28, 2009
In cells the nucleotide triphosphates are polymerized by RNA polymerase into RNA (using DNA as the template. In each of the series of new reactions that make the activated intermediates (nucleotide triphosphates), the reactants have more energy in their arrangement of atoms than the products. (Suite101.com)
Evidence of a tick RNAi pathway by comparative genomics and reverse genetics screen of targets with known loss-of-function phenotypes in Drosophila Mar 27, 2009
Our analysis identified 30 RNAi proteins including a putative tick Dicer, RISC associated (Ago-2, TudorSN, FMRp), RNA dependent RNA polymerase (EGO-1) and 20 homologues implicated in dsRNA uptake and processing. We then selected 10 R. microplus ESTs with >80% similarity to D. melanogaster proteins associated with cell viability for RNAi functional screens in both BME26 R. microplus embryonic cells and female ticks in vivo. (BioMed Central)
Caltech biologists find optimistic worms are ready for rapid recovery Mar 10, 2009
The worms' quick response to food appears to be controlled by a vital cellular protein called RNA Polymerase II (RNA Pol II), which is responsible for transcribing DNA into mRNA. In a separate experiment, Sternberg and his colleagues found that RNA Pol II accumulates on genes that respond rapidly to being fed, but in advance of that feeding. "We speculate that this polymerase accumulation is part of the way in which they can respond so quickly. It's already engaged, ready to go, ready to send... (EurekAlert!)
Omics Gateway Feb 8, 2009
Using data sets they produce for human RNA polymerase II and the transcription factor STAT1, Rozowsky et al. compensate for these biases by correcting for 'mappability' and normalizing the data against an input-DNA control. . (Nature News Service)
Bacteria Are Models Of Efficiency Feb 7, 2009
The equations look at two components of the protein production process: ribosomes the machinery in which proteins are produced and RNA polymerase an enzyme that copies the genetic code for protein production onto strands of messenger RNA for further translation into proteins. RNA polymerase is thus a sort of work supervisor that keeps protein production running smoothly, checks the specs and sets the pace ... The first equation assesses the production rate of the ribosomes themselves; the second... (Science Daily)
