Structures of Bacterial RNA Polymerase Complexes Reveal the Mechanism of DNA Loading and Transcription Initiation

Abstract

Gene transcription is carried out by multi-subunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs). Transcription initiation is a dynamic multi-step process that involves the opening of the double-stranded DNA to form a transcription bubble and delivery of the template strand deep into the RNAP for RNA synthesis. Applying cryoelectron microscopy to a unique transcription system using σ 54 (σ N ), the major bacterial variant sigma factor, we capture a new intermediate state at 4.1 Å where promoter DNA is caught at the entrance of the RNAP cleft. Combining with new structures of the open promoter complex and an initial de novo transcribing complex at 3.4 and 3.7 Å respectively, our studies reveal the dynamics of DNA loading and mechanism of transcription bubble stabilization that involves coordinated, large-scale conformational changes of the universally conserved features within RNAP and DNA. In addition, our studies reveal a novel mechanism of strand separation by σ 54 . Glyde et al. report three cryo-EM structures of bacterial transcription initiation complexes. These structures support a coupled DNA load and unwind model that involves an initial opening of the RNA polymerase clamp to facilitate DNA loading before it closes down to complete the loading, which also leads to DNA unwinding.