Study of RNA polymerase transcription through nucleosome using the cryo-electron microscopy approach

Abstract

A promising and reliable method for the analysis of macromolecule structures is capturing images using cryo-electron transmission microscopy and consequently performing three-dimensional reconstructions. In this study, using cryo-electron microscopy, we analyzed the structure of the complex, formed by RNA polymerase stalled at position +42 during its transcription through the nucleosome. We obtained both projection images and a three-dimensional structure of the EC-42 complex at 2.5 nm resolution. This allowed us to confirm the conformational integrity of the nucleosome during the passage of the RNA polymerase.