Zhou Jing, Schweikhard Volker, Block Steven M
Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 Jan;1829(1):29-38. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2012.08.006. Epub 2012 Sep 6.
Elongation, the transcriptional phase in which RNA polymerase (RNAP) moves processively along a DNA template, occurs via a fundamental enzymatic mechanism that is thought to be universally conserved among multi-subunit polymerases in all kingdoms of life. Beyond this basic mechanism, a multitude of processes are integrated into transcript elongation, among them fidelity control, gene regulatory interactions involving elongation factors, RNA splicing or processing factors, and regulatory mechanisms associated with chromatin structure. Many kinetic and molecular details of the mechanism of the nucleotide addition cycle and its regulation, however, remain elusive and generate continued interest and even controversy. Recently, single-molecule approaches have emerged as powerful tools for the study of transcription in eukaryotic organisms. Here, we review recent progress and discuss some of the unresolved questions and ongoing debates, while anticipating future developments in the field. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA Polymerase II Transcript Elongation.
延伸是指RNA聚合酶（RNAP）沿着DNA模板持续移动的转录阶段，它通过一种基本的酶促机制发生，这种机制被认为在生命所有王国的多亚基聚合酶中普遍保守。除了这种基本机制外，转录延伸还整合了许多过程，其中包括保真度控制、涉及延伸因子的基因调控相互作用、RNA剪接或加工因子以及与染色质结构相关的调控机制。然而，核苷酸添加循环机制及其调控的许多动力学和分子细节仍然难以捉摸，引发了持续的关注甚至争议。最近，单分子方法已成为研究真核生物转录的强大工具。在这里，我们回顾了最近的进展，讨论了一些未解决的问题和正在进行的辩论，同时展望了该领域的未来发展。本文是名为：RNA聚合酶II转录延伸的特刊的一部分。
