Kochetkov S N, Rusakova E E, Tunitskaya V L
Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
FEBS Lett. 1998 Dec 4;440(3):264-7. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01484-7.
Bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) is known to be one of the simplest enzymes catalyzing RNA synthesis. In contrast to most RNA polymerases known, this enzyme consists of one subunit and is able to carry out transcription in the absence of additional protein factors. Owing to its molecular properties, the enzyme is widely used for synthesis of specific transcripts, as well as being a suitable model for studying the mechanisms of transcription. In this minireview the recent data on the structure and mechanism of T7 RNAP, including enzyme-promoter interactions, principal stages of transcription, and the results of functional studies are discussed.
噬菌体T7 RNA聚合酶（T7 RNAP）是已知催化RNA合成的最简单的酶之一。与大多数已知的RNA聚合酶不同，这种酶由一个亚基组成，并且能够在没有其他蛋白质因子的情况下进行转录。由于其分子特性，该酶被广泛用于合成特定转录本，也是研究转录机制的合适模型。在这篇综述中，讨论了关于T7 RNAP结构和机制的最新数据，包括酶与启动子的相互作用、转录的主要阶段以及功能研究的结果。
