MECHANISM AND REGULATION OF TRANSCRIPTIONAL ELONGATION AND TERMINATION BY RNA-POLYMERASE-II

Over the past year, key advances in several areas of research on the s tructure and function of the RNA polymerase (pol II) elongation comple x have shed considerable light on the mechanisms governing the elongat ion stage of eukaryotic mRNA synthesis. Novel features of the regulati on of elongation by DNA and RNA binding transcriptional activators hav e been brought to light; the mechanisms of action of elongation factor s that suppress pausing and premature arrest by transcribing pol II ha ve been defined in greater detail; and novel elongation factors implic ated in human disease have been identified and characterized.