Selectivity of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase for template conformation.

Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) exhibits a strong selectivity for the secondary structure of its template DNA, as shown by the influence both of the DNA conformationon the transcription cycle and of the enzyme on the DNA conformation itself. Binding, chain initiation and elongation characteristics of RNAP, and DNA conformational characteristics were examined by use of thealternating copolymer poly(dGdm 5 C)-poly(dGdm 5 C) as template