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PubMed · 16360025

Tracking RNA polymerase, one step at a time.

Dmitry G Vassylyev·Irina Artsimovitch
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Abstract

Although the structural analysis of transcription has attained atomic resolution, techniques to manipulate single molecules involved in transcription have lagged behind. A recent paper in Nature by Abbondanzieri et al. (2005) closes this gap. This study finds that individual molecules of bacterial RNA polymerase move in single base-pair steps and concludes that RNA polymerase acts as a Brownian ratchet that is driven forward by the binding of incoming nucleoside triphosphates.

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Base PairingBinding SitesCatalytic DomainDNADNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesEscherichia coliModels, BiologicalNucleotidesTemplates, GeneticTranscription, GeneticJournal Article

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Dmitry G Vassylyev, Irina Artsimovitch. 2005-12-16. Tracking RNA polymerase, one step at a time.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2005.11.030

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