Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42066755›Full record

ArticleMolecular cell2026

Structural basis for multi-subunit DNA-dependent RNA polymerase catalytic activity.

Andreas U Mueller, Seth A Darst

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cell, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. RNA polymerase inhibitors reveal active-site motions essential for the nucleotide addition cycle.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Andreas U MuellerLaboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Seth A DarstLaboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: darst@rockefeller.edu.

Funding

Structure, function, and regulation of the bacterial transcription cycleR35GM118130 · NIGMS · ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY · PI DARST, SETH A. · 2016 to 2025
$8.9M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM118130
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Multi-subunit DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the central enzyme of transcription, yet its catalytic mechanism remains obscure because high-resolution structures of intermediates with native substrates are not available. We visualized E. coli RNAP on a promoter DNA template with nucleoside triphosphate substrates engaged in active RNA synthesis by cryo-electron microscopy. From this heterogeneous mixture, we determined five high-resolution structures of initial transcribing complexes, including a true Michaelis complex (MC) and a post-catalytic product complex (PC). The MC reveals key conformational transitions during catalysis. Waters in the MC and PC structures show striking overlap with those in corresponding S. cerevisiae RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) structures (see related paper by Li et al.), pointing to functional importance. Together, these results establish that RNAP catalyzes nucleotidyl transfer through a positional (entropic) mechanism, revealing structural determinants of the first step of gene expression.

Indexed as

DNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesEscherichia coliEscherichia coli ProteinsTranscription, GeneticCryoelectron MicroscopyModels, MolecularPromoter Regions, GeneticProtein ConformationProtein SubunitsRNA Polymerase IISaccharomyces cerevisiaeDNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesEscherichia coli ProteinsProtein SubunitsRNA Polymerase IIcatalytic mechanismcryo-electron microscopyMichaelis complexnucleotide addition cycleRNA polymerasetranscriptiontrigger loop

Identifiers

PMID42066755
PMCPMC13198411

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.