PHILLIPS CH 8 Flashcards
Transcription start site
first base to be transcribed, +1 site
Ribonucleoside
sugar + base unit added during transcription
first few ribonucleoside triphosphates are added while RNA polymerse is at the promoter
Promoter clearance (promoter escape)
Rna polymerase moves past the promoter, promoter is “sticky” to bind polymerase and takes energy to move past it
CTD (of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II)
C-terminal domain, Rpb1 subunit
phosphorylation of CTD recruits proteins and 1) couples transcription with RNA processing 2) transition from initiation and elongation
Sigma factor
transcription initiation factor, makes direct contact with the promoter, promotes transcription under different conditions
Holoenzyme
sigma factor + RNA pol
Primary sigma factor
bind genes that are needed all the time (always on)
Alternative sigma factors
bind genes at specific conditions (turn on/off)
-10 and -35 element
roughly 35 and 10 bases upstream of TSS, bind the sigma factor
Anti-sigma factors
proteins that bind to sigma factors and inhibit their function
General transcription factors
recruit eukaryotic and archaeal core polymerase to promoters
TFII proteins
general transcription factors, helps RNA pol II get to promoter region
TFIIB, TFIID, TFIIH
Pre-initiation complex
TFII complex + RNA pol II
TATA binding protein (TBP)
required to initiate transcription from all eukaryotic promoters
TBP-associated factors (TAFs)
part of TFIID, makes initial contact with TATA box by binding to the minor groove of the DNA (at TATA box), induces strong distortions in DNA
TATA box
25-30 bp upstream of transcription start, binds the transcription initiation complex
Open complex
RNA pol bound to an open region of DNA
Mediator
more than 20 subunits, needed to activate many Pol II transcribed genes
Closed complex
paired DNA when RNA first binds the promoter
Abortive initiation
RNA polymerase frequently fails to make a full length RNA on the first attempt
Transcriptional pausing
physical obstructions block RNA pol (i.e. incorporation of wrong base)
Transcriptional arrest
RNA pol cannot resume synthesis on its own