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  • The EMBO Journal (2003) 22, 4719 - 4727
  • doi:10.1093/emboj/cdg452

Transcription through the roadblocks: the role of RNA polymerase cooperation

Vitaly Epshtein1, Francine Toulmé2, A.Rachid Rahmouni2, Sergei Borukhov3 and Evgeny Nudler1

  1. Department of Biochemistry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
  2. Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Rue Charles Sadron 45071 Orléans, France
  3. SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA

Correspondence to:

Evgeny Nudler, E-mail: evgeny.nudler@med.nyu.edu

Received 19 May 2003; Accepted 23 July 2003; Revised 10 July 2003

During transcription, cellular RNA polymerases (RNAP) have to deal with numerous potential roadblocks imposed by various DNA binding proteins. Many such proteins partially or completely interrupt a single round of RNA chain elongation in vitro. Here we demonstrate that Escherichia coli RNAP can effectively read through the site-specific DNA-binding proteins in vitro and in vivo if more than one RNAP molecule is allowed to initiate from the same promoter. The anti-roadblock activity of the trailing RNAP does not require transcript cleavage activity but relies on forward translocation of roadblocked complexes. These results support a cooperation model of transcription whereby RNAP molecules behave as 'partners' helping one another to traverse intrinsic and extrinsic obstacles.

  • Keywords:

    • protein roadblocks,
    • RNA polymerase,
    • transcription elongation