title: RNA polymerase: chromosome domain boundary maker and regulator of supercoil density.
abstract: Most bacterial chromosomes and plasmids are covalently closed circular molecules that are maintained in a dynamic supercoiled state. Average supercoil density differs significantly between Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Two related questions are: What protein(s) create supercoil domain boundaries in a bacterial chromosome? and How is supercoil density regulated in different bacterial species? RNA polymerase plays pivotal roles in both of these topological phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States. nphiggin@uab.edu
authors.forename: N Patrick
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002384:Catalysis; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D027081:DNA Gyrase / Q000378:metabolism; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D061805:Transcription Elongation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; C113275:RNA polymerase alpha subunit; D027081:DNA Gyrase