Conformational changes of a transcription complex of RNA-polymerase with DNA
Kamzolova, S.G.; Kamzaolov, S.S.; Ivanova, N.N.
Molekuliarnaia Biologiia 32(5): 788-792
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-8984 PMID: 9914963 Document Number: 486226
The method of spin and fluorescent label was used to study conformational changes in RNA-polymerase of Escherichia coli, a component of phage T2 DNA complex at various stages of RNA synthesis. It was shown that RNA-polymerase was subject to a series of specific conformational transformations focused at the formation of a working configuration of enzyme active centers responsible for the corresponding stages of RNA synthesis. DNA is a conformational cofactor of RNA-polymerase and induces specific changes associated with the formation of transcription-competent complexes in the enzyme. The use of fluorescein mercuric acetate, a bifunctional fluorescent label, made it possible to discover the enzyme sites with relatively independent conformational mobility. The functional role of the conformational mobility of local RNA-polymerase regions was discussed.