Termination of Transcription by RNA Polymerase II: BOOM!

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcribes hundreds of thousands of transcription units – a reaction always brought to a close by its termination. Because Pol II transcribes multiple gene types, its termination occurs in a variety of ways, with the polymerase being responsive to different inputs. Moreover, it is not just a default process occurring at the end of genes. Promoter-proximal and premature termination is common and might in turn regulate gene expression levels. Although some transcription termination mechanisms have been debated for decades, research is only just underway on emergent processes. We provide an updated view of transcription termination in human cells, highlighting common themes and some interesting differences between the contexts in which it occurs.