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Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 11, pages 1156–1157 (2004)Cite this article

Three recent reports identify the roles of specific ribonucleases necessary for efficient termination of transcription by RNA polymerase II. In one case, the primary cleavage event is carried out by a ribozyme encoded in the pre-mRNA itself.

Genes have informational borders but no physical boundaries. This poses restrictions to the ways RNA polymerases use to initiate and terminate transcription accurately. The simplest strategy is the recognition of specific DNA or nascent RNA sequences by the RNA polymerase, either directly or through interactions with other sequence-specific binding proteins. This mode of action prevails in prokaryotic and eukaryotic initiations and in prokaryotic termination. However, termination of eukaryotic protein-encoding genes by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) does not depend on universal terminator sequences, as it does in bacteria, and may occur at various positions located hundreds or even thousands of bases downstream of the cleavage and polyadenylation site, which marks the 3′ end of the last exon. Termination is important to recycle polymerase molecules for further transcription rounds and to prevent read-throughs that could interfere with transcription initiation of downstream genes.

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Figure 1: The torpedo model for transcription termination by RNA polymerase II in the human β-globin gene.

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  1. Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular, LFBM and IFIByNE-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alberto R Kornblihtt

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  1. Alberto R Kornblihtt
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Kornblihtt, A. Shortcuts to the end. Nat Struct Mol Biol 11, 1156–1157 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb1204-1156

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