Laboratory of Molecular Pathogenesis, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2024 Oct;81:102540. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102540. Epub 2024 Sep 2.
RNA polymerase (RNAP), the central enzyme of transcription, intermittently pauses during the elongation stage of RNA synthesis. Pausing provides an opportunity for regulatory events such as nascent RNA folding or the recruitment of transregulators. NusG (Spt5 in eukaryotes and archaea) regulates RNAP pausing and is the only transcription factor conserved across all cellular life. NusG is a multifunctional protein: its N-terminal domain (NGN) binds to RNAP, and its C-terminal KOW domain in bacteria interacts with transcription regulators such as ribosomes and termination factors. In Escherichia coli, NusG acts as an antipausing factor. However, recent studies have revealed that NusG has distinct transcriptional regulatory roles specific to bacterial clades with clinical implications. Here, we focus on NusG's dual roles in the regulation of pausing.
RNA 聚合酶（RNAP）是转录的核心酶，在 RNA 合成的延伸阶段间歇性暂停。暂停为调节事件提供了机会，例如新生 RNA 的折叠或转录调节剂的募集。NusG（真核生物和古菌中的 Spt5）调节 RNAP 的暂停，是所有细胞生命中唯一保守的转录因子。NusG 是一种多功能蛋白：其 N 端结构域（NGN）与 RNAP 结合，其 C 端 KOW 结构域在细菌中与核糖体和终止因子等转录调节剂相互作用。在大肠杆菌中，NusG 作为抗暂停因子发挥作用。然而，最近的研究表明，NusG 在具有临床意义的细菌类群中具有特定的转录调节作用。在这里，我们重点介绍 NusG 在调节暂停方面的双重作用。
