Lisica Ana, Grill Stephan W
BIOTEC, Technical University Dresden, Tatzberg 47/49, D-01307 Dresden, Germany; and Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany.
Biomol Concepts. 2017 Mar 1;8(1):1-11. doi: 10.1515/bmc-2016-0028.
Transcription is the first step in the expression of genetic information and it is carried out by large macromolecular enzymes called RNA polymerases. Transcription has been studied for many years and with a myriad of experimental techniques, ranging from bulk studies to high-resolution transcript sequencing. In this review, we emphasise the advantages of using single-molecule techniques, particularly optical tweezers, to study transcription dynamics. We give an overview of the latest results in the single-molecule transcription field, focusing on transcription by eukaryotic RNA polymerases. Finally, we evaluate recent quantitative models that describe the biophysics of RNA polymerase translocation and backtracking dynamics.
转录是遗传信息表达的第一步，由称为RNA聚合酶的大型大分子酶来执行。转录已经被研究了很多年，使用了无数的实验技术，从整体研究到高分辨率转录本测序。在这篇综述中，我们强调使用单分子技术，特别是光镊，来研究转录动力学的优势。我们概述了单分子转录领域的最新结果，重点是真核RNA聚合酶的转录。最后，我们评估了最近描述RNA聚合酶转位和回溯动力学生物物理学的定量模型。
