Publication Abstract from PubMed
Synthesis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) by RNA polymerase (Pol) I is the first step in ribosome biogenesis and a regulatory switch in eukaryotic cell growth. Here we report the 12 A cryo-electron microscopic structure for the complete 14-subunit yeast Pol I, a homology model for the core enzyme, and the crystal structure of the subcomplex A14/43. In the resulting hybrid structure of Pol I, A14/43, the clamp, and the dock domain contribute to a unique surface interacting with promoter-specific initiation factors. The Pol I-specific subunits A49 and A34.5 form a heterodimer near the enzyme funnel that acts as a built-in elongation factor and is related to the Pol II-associated factor TFIIF. In contrast to Pol II, Pol I has a strong intrinsic 3'-RNA cleavage activity, which requires the C-terminal domain of subunit A12.2 and, apparently, enables ribosomal RNA proofreading and 3'-end trimming.
Functional architecture of RNA polymerase I.,Kuhn CD, Geiger SR, Baumli S, Gartmann M, Gerber J, Jennebach S, Mielke T, Tschochner H, Beckmann R, Cramer P Cell. 2007 Dec 28;131(7):1260-72. PMID:18160037[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.