Abstract
Evolutionarily related multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs) facilitate gene transcription throughout the three domains of life. During the past seven years an increasing number of bacterial and eukaryotic RNAP structures have been solved; however, the archaeal enzyme remained elusive. Two reports from the Murakami and Cramer laboratories have now filled this gap in our knowledge and enable us to hypothesize about the evolution of the structure and function of RNAPs.
MeSH terms
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Archaea / enzymology*
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Archaea / genetics
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Archaeal Proteins* / chemistry
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Archaeal Proteins* / genetics
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Archaeal Proteins* / metabolism
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DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases* / chemistry
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DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases* / genetics
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DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases* / metabolism
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Evolution, Molecular*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal
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Models, Molecular
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Protein Subunits* / chemistry
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Protein Subunits* / genetics
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Protein Subunits* / metabolism
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Pyrococcus furiosus / enzymology
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Structure-Activity Relationship
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Sulfolobus solfataricus / enzymology
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Transcription Factors / metabolism
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Transcription, Genetic
Substances
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Archaeal Proteins
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Protein Subunits
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Transcription Factors
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DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases