Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40966499›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2025

The displacement of the σ70 finger in initial transcription is highly heterogeneous and promoter-dependent.

Anna Wang, Andrew Fletcher, Pratip Mukherjee, David C Grainger, Abhishek Mazumder, Achillefs N Kapanidis

Abstract read
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Article in Nucleic acids research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Anna WangBiological Physics Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
Andrew FletcherSchool of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
Pratip MukherjeeStructural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata-700032, India.
David C GraingerSchool of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3375-5154
Abhishek MazumderBiological Physics Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-9339-6256
Achillefs N KapanidisBiological Physics Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6699-136X

Funding

BBSRC BB/M01116X/1DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance IA/I/21/2/505898UGC 221610073587UK BB/R008655/1Wellcome Trust 110164/Z/15/ZWellcome Trust 212193/Z/18/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Most bacterial sigma factors (σ) contain a highly conserved structural module, the 'σ-finger', which forms a loop that protrudes towards the RNA polymerase active centre in the open complex and has been implicated in pre-organization of template DNA, abortive initiation of short RNAs, initiation pausing, and promoter escape. Here, we introduce a novel single-molecule FRET (smFRET) assay to monitor σ-finger motions during transcription initiation and promoter escape. By performing real-time smFRET measurements, we determine that for all promoters studied, displacement occurs before promoter escape and can occur either before or after a clash with the extending RNA. We show that the kinetics of σ-finger displacement are highly dependent on the promoter, with implications for transcription kinetics and regulation. Analogous mechanisms may operate in the similar modules present across all kingdoms of life.

Indexed as

DNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesPromoter Regions, GeneticSigma FactorTranscription, GeneticTranscription Initiation, GeneticBacterial ProteinsEscherichia coliFluorescence Resonance Energy TransferGene Expression Regulation, BacterialKineticsSingle Molecule ImagingBacterial ProteinsDNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesRNA polymerase sigma 70Sigma Factor

Identifiers

PMID40966499
PMCPMC12445709

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.