For eukaryotic Pol II, 'correct' initiation events lead to discrete RNA species, most of which are messenger RNAs. However, very little is known about how often Pol II initiates transcription ...

Our lab is using a variety of biochemical, cellular, and biophysical methods to better define how Mediator, TFIID, and TFIIH work together with other PIC components to regulate pol II transcription ...

Mediator is a common target of DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) and also interacts with various Pre-Initiation Complex (PIC) factors. The PIC consists of TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIID, TFIIE, TFIIF, ...

Torsional stress in chromatin plays a fundamental role in cellular functions, influencing key processes such as transcription, replication, and chromatin organization. Transcription and other ...

In the absence of sigma, transcription initiation forms harmful R-loops unless RapA can intervene first, prying open the RNAP clamp. "RNAP is like a big claw that closes around DNA," Darst says.