Transcriptional
Promoters
A promoter
is a short DNA sequence that signals the RNAPol
to begin
transcription. Comparison of many E. coli DNA gene
sequences
shows two common promoter motifs, located approximately -10 & -35 bases from the startpoint
of RNA transcription, with
similar sequences. It is important to
remember that the startpoint of
transcription is itself physically separated from the start
codon
of the gene, which signals the startpoint of translation, and which does
not appear in the diagram. Similar promoter regions occur in other
prokaryotic
and eukaryotic genes.
Figure © 2000 by
Griffiths et al. ; text © 2004 by Steven M. Carr