title: Tracking RNA polymerase, one step at a time.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Dmitry G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Vassylyev
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Artsimovitch
mesh_terms: D020029:Base Pairing; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D020134:Catalytic Domain / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D009711:Nucleotides; D004247:DNA; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases