Unlike base excision repair, the nucleotide excision repair enzymes do not recognize any particular lesion. Rather, this system works by recognizing distortions to the shape of the double helix, such as those

caused by a thymine dimer or by the presence of a bulky chemical adduct on a base.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 763

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

The transition from the closed to the open complex involves “melting” between positions –11 and +2, with respect to the transcription start site.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 764

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Transition from CPC to OPC often called isomerization, does not require energy derived from ATP hydrolysis and is instead the result of a spontaneous conformational change in the DNA– enzyme complex to a more energetically favorable form.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 765

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

The closed complex is converted into an open complex of 1.3 turns of the double helix in a series of steps by first “melting” a short region of DNA. 

This Isomerization is essentially irreversible and, once complete, typically guarantees that transcription will subsequently initiate.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 766

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Two bases in the non-template strand of the –10 element (A11 and T7) flip out from their base-stacking interactions and instead insert into pockets within the sigma protein where they make more favorable interactions for OPC

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 767

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Abortive transcription is when RNA Polymerase makes short transcripts, typically shorter than 10 nucleotides (nt), while still bound at the promoter.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 768

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

In abortive transcription, an RNA chain forms without movement of the enzyme down the template by scrunching DNA