Transcription

Promotor

The site where RNA polymerase makes initial contact w/ DNA to start transcription, have specific sequences that can be recognized by the transcription machinery as the official start of the gene

Promotor sequences

The TATA box in eukaryotes; the -35 element and the -10 element in bacteria

Transcription factor

Initiation complex proteins that are responsible for getting RNA Polymerase to the promotor sequence and open the DNA strand for transcription by binding to the DNA at the promotor and open it, unwinding the double helix

The equivalent of the T factors in bacteria

The sigma subunit

Template strand

The strand of DNA that is transcribed by RNA Polymerase

Non-template (coding) strand

The strand of DNA that is not being transcribed that matches the sequences of bases in the RNA product being transcribed (swapping out the T in DNA for U in RNA)

RNA Polymerase

An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds btwn ribonucleotides, forms an RNA product that is complementary to the sequences of bases in a DNA template

Specifically RNA Polymerase II in Eukaryotes

Termination signal

The thing that signals RNA Polymerase to end transcriptionTe

Termination signals

Terminator signal in bacteria that codes for RNA that forms a hairpin; The poly-A signal in eukaryotes that signals for the introns to be spliced out, a 5’ cap to be added, and a poly-A tail to be added to the 3’ end

Intron splicing

The process of removing introns from the pre-mRNA prior to its export from the nucleus

5’ cap

A modified form of the nucleotide guanine that is added to the 5’ end of a pre-mRNA prior to its export from the nucleus

Poly-A tail

A long series of adenine nucleotides that is added to the 3’ end of a pre-mRNA prior to its export from the nucleus