title: Evolution of multisubunit RNA polymerases in the three domains of life.
abstract: RNA polymerases (RNAPs) carry out transcription in all living organisms. All multisubunit RNAPs are derived from a common ancestor, a fact that becomes apparent from their amino acid sequence, subunit composition, structure, function and molecular mechanisms. Despite the similarity of these complexes, the organisms that depend on them are extremely diverse, ranging from microorganisms to humans. Recent findings about the molecular and functional architecture of RNAPs has given us intriguing insights into their evolution and how their activities are harnessed by homologous and analogous basal factors during the transcription cycle. We provide an overview of the evolutionary conservation of and differences between the multisubunit polymerases in the three domains of life, and introduce the 'elongation first' hypothesis for the evolution of transcriptional regulation.
authors.affiliation: RNA Polymerase Laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. werner@biochem.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grohmann
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010802:Phylogeny; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases