Structural highlights
Function
RPOL_BPT7 DNA-dependent RNA polymerase catalyzes the transcription of DNA into RNA using the four ribonucleoside triphosphates as substrates. Responsible for the transcription of the late genes of T7. It is rifampicin-resistant. It recognizes a specific promoter sequence, unwinds the double-stranded RNA to expose the coding strand for templating, initiates transcription preferentially with a purine.
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Structural studies of the T7 bacteriophage DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) have shown that the conformation of the amino-terminal domain changes substantially between the initiation and elongation phases of transcription, but how this transition is achieved remains unclear. We report crystal structures of T7 RNAP bound to promoter DNA containing either a 7- or an 8-nucleotide (nt) RNA transcript that illuminate intermediate states along the transition pathway. The amino-terminal domain comprises the C-helix subdomain and the promoter binding domain (PBD), which consists of two segments separated by subdomain H. The structures of the intermediate complex reveal that the PBD and the bound promoter rotate by approximately 45 degrees upon synthesis of an 8-nt RNA transcript. This allows the promoter contacts to be maintained while the active site is expanded to accommodate a growing heteroduplex. The C-helix subdomain moves modestly toward its elongation conformation, whereas subdomain H remains in its initiation- rather than its elongation-phase location, more than 70 angstroms away.
The structure of a transcribing t7 RNA polymerase in transition from initiation to elongation.,Durniak KJ, Bailey S, Steitz TA Science. 2008 Oct 24;322(5901):553-7. PMID:18948533[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
See Also
References
- ↑ Durniak KJ, Bailey S, Steitz TA. The structure of a transcribing t7 RNA polymerase in transition from initiation to elongation. Science. 2008 Oct 24;322(5901):553-7. PMID:18948533 doi:322/5901/553
