English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Here, we studied the complete process of a viral T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) translocation on DNA during transcription elongation by implementing extensive all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to construct a Markov state model (MSM). Our studies show that translocation proceeds in a Brownian motion, and the RNAP thermally transits among multiple metastable states. We observed non-synchronized backbone movements of the nucleic acid (NA) chains with the RNA translocation accomplished first, while the template DNA lagged. Notably, both the O-helix and Y-helix on the fingers domain play key roles in facilitating NA translocation through the helix opening. The helix opening allows a key residue Tyr639 to become inserted into the active site, which pushes the RNA-DNA hybrid forward. Another key residue, Phe644, coordinates the downstream template DNA motions by stacking and un-stacking with a transition nucleotide (TN) and its adjacent nucleotide. Moreover, the O-helix opening at pre-translocation (pre-trans) likely resists backtracking. To test this hypothesis, we computationally designed mutants of T7 RNAP by replacing the amino acids on the O-helix with counterpart residues from a mitochondrial RNAP that is capable of backtracking. The current experimental results support the hypothesis.

T7 RNA polymerase translocation is facilitated by a helix opening on the fingers domain that may also prevent backtracking