BIOL 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pyrimidine, Initiator Element

• School: McGill University
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL 200
• Professor: Kenneth Hastings

Document Summary

Complex has to form; called the pre-initiation complex. Contains many general transcription factors (gtfs; tfii for facts associated with this polymerase). Gtfs bind to promotors of genes and position the rna polymerase in the right place and assist in initiation. Can be studied in a test tube (in vitro) and using genetic techniques (in vivo). Tbp (tata box binding protein) binds to the dna and bends it making it easier to denature the site for transcription. In vivo, tbp is part of tfiid, a complex of tbp and 13 other subunits called tafs (tbp associated factors). Preformed complex of tfiif and pol ii once tfiib has bound (core pic). Tfiie binds and creates docking site for tfiih (has kinase activity and helicase activity) Helicase activity uses atp to unwind dna and pol ii forms open complex. Transcription initiates, and kinase subunit phosphorylates ctd of pol ii. Controls production of protein encoded by a gene since transcription is the 1st step.