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The complex organization of the transcription machinery has been revealed mainly by biochemical and crystallographic studies. X-ray structures describe RNA polymerases and transcription complexes on an atomic level, but fail to portray their dynamic nature. The use of fluorescence techniques has made it possible to add a new layer of information to our understanding of transcription by providing details about the structural rearrangement of mobile elements and the network of interactions within transcription complexes in solution and in real-time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeal and eukaryotic RNAPs (DNA-dependent RNA polymerases) are complex multi-subunit enzymes. Two of the subunits, F and E, which together form the F/E complex, have been hypothesized to associate with RNAP in a reversible manner during the transcription cycle. We have characterized the molecular interactions between the F/E complex and the RNAP core. F/E binds to RNAP with submicromolar affinity and is not in a dynamic exchange with unbound F/E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All cellular life depends on multisubunit RNAPs (RNA polymerases) that are evolutionarily related through the three domains of life. Archaeal RNAPs encompass 12 subunits that contribute in different ways to the assembly and stability of the enzyme, nucleic acid binding, catalysis and specific regulatory interactions with transcription factors. The recent development of methods to reconstitute archaeal RNAP from recombinant materials in conjunction with structural information of multisubunit RNAPs present a potent opportunity to investigate the molecular mechanisms of transcription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]