Structural basis for intrinsic transcription termination

Efficient and accurate termination is required for gene transcription in all living organisms. Cellular RNA polymerases (RNAP) in both bacteria and eukaryotes can terminate their transcription through a factor-independent termination pathway (called intrinsic termination transcription in bacteria), in which RNAP recognizes terminator sequences, stops nucleotide addition, and releases nascent RNA spontaneously. Here we report a set of single-particle cryo-EM structures of E. coli transcription intrinsic termination complexes representing key intermediate states of the event. The structures show how RNAP pauses at terminator sequences, how the terminator RNA hairpin folds inside RNAP, and how RNAP rewinds the transcription bubble to release RNA and then DNA. These macromolecular snapshots define a structural mechanism for bacterial intrinsic termination and a pathway for RNA release and DNA collapse relevant for factor-independent termination by all RNA polymerases.