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Transcription in Eukaryotes—The Role of Transcription Complexes and Their Components
Author(s) -
Wingender Edgar,
Seifart Klaus H.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition in english
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 0570-0833
DOI - 10.1002/anie.198702181
Subject(s) - transcription (linguistics) , biology , rna polymerase ii , transcription factor ii d , rna , genetics , gene , general transcription factor , eukaryotic transcription , rna polymerase , dna , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , gene expression , promoter , philosophy , linguistics
The fact that DNA is transcribed into RNA has long been known and has become part of the “central dogma” of molecular genetics. The mechanisms responsible for controlling this process at the individual genes of higher cells (eukaryotes), however, are still not completely understood. RNA polymerases apparently require a number of auxiliary factors (transcription factors) for gene recognition. These factors combine with the enzyme at the gene to form a transcription complex. The structures of these complexes are starting to become clearer; most is known about the control of RNA polymerase III, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of certain small RNA molecules. The model character of the results obtained with this system is clearly underlined by a series of recent publications. TF III A is an especially intensively studied protein, which is a positive regulator for the expression of ribosomal 5S RNA and possesses structural properties that were previously unknown in DNA‐binding proteins. It is becoming increasingly evident that the “architecture” of TF III A is not an exotic curiosity but probably exemplifies a general structural plan.