RNA polymerase
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Definition
- Noun:
- The enzyme that copies DNA into RNA: RNA polymerase is a biological catalyst responsible for synthesizing RNA molecules from a DNA template during the process of transcription.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- RNA polymerase binds to a specific region of DNA called the promoter to initiate transcription.
- The function of RNA polymerase is essential for gene expression.
- Scientists studied how the antibiotic inhibited bacterial RNA polymerase.
Advanced Usage
- "RNA polymerase II": A specific type of RNA polymerase in eukaryotes responsible for transcribing messenger RNA (mRNA).
- RNA polymerase II is the enzyme that transcribes protein-coding genes.
- "RNA polymerase activity": Refers to the functional capability of the enzyme to catalyze RNA synthesis.
- The experiment measured the RNA polymerase activity in the cell extract.
Variants and Related Words
- Polymerase (n): A general term for any enzyme that synthesizes polymers of nucleic acids.
- DNA polymerase is another crucial enzyme for replication.
- Transcriptase (n): Another name for an RNA polymerase, emphasizing its role in transcription.
- Reverse transcriptase is a related enzyme that copies RNA into DNA.
Synonyms
- Transcriptase: An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of RNA from a DNA template.
Related Phrases
- "Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)": A laboratory technique for amplifying DNA, which uses a polymerase, not RNA polymerase. (This is a related but distinct compound term).
- "Transcription machinery": The complex of proteins, including RNA polymerase, involved in transcription.
Noun
- the enzyme that copies DNA into RNA