RNA synthesis, also known as transcription, involves the conversion of DNA-encoded genetic information into RNA molecules. This process is facilitated by specialized enzymes called RNA polymerases. Here are some key insights about RNA synthesis enzymes based on the provided search results:
RNA Polymerase Function:
RNA polymerase is the enzyme responsible for copying a DNA sequence into an RNA sequence during the process of transcription
It is a complex molecule composed of protein
bmk glycidate subunits and controls the process of transcription, where the information stored in DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA
Types of RNA Polymerases:
Prokaryotes have one type of RNA polymerase, while eukaryotes have three types of nuclear RNA polymerases, each with specific functions in transcribing different types of RNA
In higher organisms, there are three main RNA polymerases designated as I, II, and III, each consisting of multiple subunits and responsible for synthesizing specific types of RNA such as rRNA, mRNA, tRNA, and 5S RNA
Structural Organization:
RNA polymerase is a large complex enzyme made up of multiple subunits. Prokaryotic RNA polymerase has four subunits, while eukaryotic enzymes have eight or more subunits that facilitate the attachment and processing of DNA during transcription
Mechanism of Action:
RNA polymerase synthesizes RNA by following a strand of DNA as a template. It is capable of transcribing the full length of a gene regardless of its length, and it remains associated with the DNA template through multiple kilobases
The DNA strand acts as a template for the synthesis of an RNA molecule, and the nucleotide sequence of the RNA chain is determined by the complementary base-pairing between incoming nucleotides and the DNA template
Evolutionary Perspective:
DNA and RNA polymerases carry out template-dependent nucleotide polymerization, but they are structurally unrelated to each other. Template-dependent nucleotide polymerizing enzymes seem to have arisen independently twice during the early evolution of cells
Specialized Functions:
RNA polymerase I synthesizes three of the four types of rRNA, RNA polymerase II synthesizes mRNA, and RNA polymerase III synthesizes tRNA and the fourth RNA component of the ribosome