Question

How does Rho termination work (4 steps)?

Answer 1

Rho-dependent termination is a process in prokaryotes where transcription is terminated through an interaction between RNA polymerase and the rho protein. It involves four steps: transcribing a C-rich region, binding of the rho protein to the RNA strand, helicase activity of rho to break RNA-DNA bonds, and prevention of further transcription.

Step-by-step explanation:

Rho-dependent termination in prokaryotes is a process where transcription is terminated through an interaction between RNA polymerase and the rho protein. There are four steps involved:

1. The RNA polymerase transcribes a 72 base, C-rich region near the 3' end of the nascent transcript.
2. The rho protein binds to the nascent RNA strand.
3. Rho, an ATP-dependent helicase, breaks the H-bonds between the RNA and the template DNA strand.
4. This prevents any further transcription from occurring.

This process helps in the control and regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes.