The cell can be viewed as a 'collection of protein machines' and understanding these molecular machines requires sophisticated cooperation between cell biologists, geneticists, enzymologists, crystallographers, chemists and physicists. To observe these machines in action, researchers have developed entirely new methodologies for the detection and the nanomanipulation of single molecules. This book, written by expert scientists in the field, analyses how these diverse fields of research interact on a specific example - RNA polymerase. The book concentrates on RNA polymerases because they play a central role among all the other machines operating in the cell and are the target of a wide range of regulatory mechanisms. They have also been the subject of spectacular advances in their structural understanding in recent years, as testified by the attribution of the Nobel prize in chemistry in 2006 to Roger Kornberg. The book focuses on two aspects of the transcription cycle that have been more intensively studied thanks to this increased scientific cooperation - the recognition of the promoter by the enzyme, and the achievement of consecutive translocation steps during elongation of the RNA product. Each of these two topics is introduced by an overview, and is then presented by worldwide experts in the field, taking the viewpoint of their speciality. The overview chapters focus on the mechanism-structure interface and the structure-machine interface while the individual chapters within each section concentrate more specifically on particular processes-kinetic analysis, single-molecule spectroscopy, and termination of transcription, amongst others. Specific attention has been paid to the newcomers in the field, with careful descriptions of new emerging techniques and the constitution of an atlas of three-dimensional pictures of the enzymes involved. For more than thirty years, the study of RNA polymerases has benefited from intense cooperation between the scientific partners involved in the various fields listed above. It is hoped that a collection of essays from outstanding scientists on this subject will catalyse the convergence of scientific efforts in this field, as well as contribute to better teaching at advanced levels in Universities.

This volume is designed to be a resource of proven techniques and approaches for probing the activities of bacterial, eukaryotic, and archaeal RNA polymerases. This book features a collection of in vitro and in vivo technologies that will permit researchers to purify and probe the position and stability of RNA polymerase complexes at different points of the transcription cycle, analyze the various translocations and intermolecular movements associated with catalysis, define recruitment strategies, probe the roles of transcription factors in each stage of the cycle, highlight conserved and disparate fidelity mechanisms, analyze the resultant transcripts, and study coordination of the nascent mRNA synthesis by the RNA polymerase and mRNA translation by the ribosome. Written in the highly successful Methods of Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubles troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and timely, Bacterial Transcriptional Controls: Methods and Protocols highlights the breadth and depth of techniques that are likely to continue shaping the transcription community in the future.

Guide to Protein Purification, Second Edition provides a complete update to existing methods in the field, reflecting the enormous advances made in the last two decades. In particular, proteomics, mass spectrometry, and DNA technology have revolutionized the field since the first edition's publication but through all of the advancements, the purification of proteins is still an indispensable first step in understanding their function. This volume examines the most reliable, robust methods for researchers in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, genetics, pharmacology and biotechnology and sets a standard for best practices in the field. It relates how these traditional and new cutting-edge methods connect to the explosive advancements in the field. This "Guide to" gives imminently practical advice to avoid costly mistakes in choosing a method and brings in perspective from the premier researchers while presents a comprehensive overview of the field today. - Gathers top global authors from industry, medicine, and research fields across a wide variety of disciplines, including biochemistry, genetics, oncology, pharmacology, dermatology and immunology - Assembles chapters on both common and less common relevant techniques - Provides robust methods as well as an analysis of the advancements in the field that, for an individual investigator, can be a demanding and time-consuming process