title: Eukaryotic transcription initiation machinery visualized at molecular level.
abstract: The structures of RNA Polymerase (Pol) II pre-initiation complexes (PIC) have recently been determined at near-atomic resolution, elucidating unprecedented mechanistic details of promoter opening during transcription initiation. The key structural features of promoter opening are summarized here. Structural knowledge of Pol I and III PIC is also briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Molecular Biosciences , Northwestern University , Evanston , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: a Department of Molecular Biosciences , Northwestern University , Evanston , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D051758:Transcription Factor TFIIH / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D051758:Transcription Factor TFIIH; D012319:RNA Polymerase II
keywords: RNA polymerase; general transcription factor; pre-initiation complex; promoter opening; transcription initiation