Here we review recent advances in understanding the regulation of mRNA synthesis in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Many fundamental gene regulatory mechanisms have been …

Since their first demonstration of manipulation and mechanical coiling of a single DNA
molecule, magnetic tweezers have become a popular and widely used single-molecule …

Transcription of highly expressed genes has been shown to occur in stochastic bursts. But
the origin of such ubiquitous phenomenon has not been understood. Here, we present the …

In cells, RNA polymerase (RNAP) must transcribe supercoiled DNA, whose torsional state is
constantly changing, but how RNAP deals with DNA supercoiling remains elusive. We report …

Transcription initiation is a highly regulated step of gene expression. Here, we discuss the
series of large conformational changes set in motion by initial specific binding of bacterial …

Using single-molecule DNA nanomanipulation, we show that abortive initiation involves
DNA “scrunching”—in which RNA polymerase (RNAP) remains stationary and unwinds and …

As nanometer-scale portals in biological membranes, protein ionic channels act as
gatekeepers, controlling the traffic of ions and macromolecules into and out of cells …

Transcription has the capacity to mechanically modify DNA topology, DNA structure and
nucleosome arrangement. Resulting from ongoing transcription, these modifications in turn …

The twin-supercoiled-domain model describes how transcription can drive DNA
supercoiling, and how DNA supercoiling, in turn, plays an important role in regulating gene …

Transcription induces a wave of DNA supercoiling, altering the binding affinity of RNA
polymerases and reshaping the biochemical landscape of gene regulation. As supercoiling …