Transcription reinitiation by recycling RNA polymerase that diffuses on DNA after releasing terminated RNA

Despite extensive studies on transcription mechanisms, it is unknown how termination complexes are disassembled, especially in what order the components dissociate. Our single-molecule fluorescence study unveils that RNA transcript release precedes RNA polymerase (RNAP) dissociation from DNA template in bacterial intrinsic termination of transcription much more often than concurrent dissociation. As termination is defined by release of product RNA from transcription complex, the subsequent retention of RNAP on DNA constitutes a previously unidentified stage, termed here as 9recycling.9 During the recycling stage, RNAPs one-dimensionally diffuse on DNA in downward and upward directions, and these RNAPs can initiate transcription again at nearby promoters in case of retaining a sigma factor. The efficiency of this event, termed here as 9reinitiation,9 increases with supplement of a sigma factor. In summary, after releasing RNA product at intrinsic termination, recycling RNAP diffuses on DNA template for reinitiation most times.