Research sheds light on the mechanics of gene transcription

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Watching genes turn on: Multiphoton microscopy images of living cells show the transcriptional activation of heat shock loci in real time.
Watching genes turn on: Multiphoton microscopy images of living cells show the transcriptional activation of heat shock loci in real time.

The molecular machinery behind gene transcription -- the intricate transfer of information from a segment of DNA to a corresponding strand of messenger RNA -- isn't stationed in special "transcription factories" within a cell nucleus, according to Cornell researchers. Instead, the enzyme RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and other key molecules can assemble at the site of an activated gene, regardless of the gene's position.


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