Q.What is TATA box ?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The TATA box is a conserved promoter element that positions RNA polymerase II for transcription initiation.
Eukaryotic protein-coding genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II typically carry a core promoter element called the TATA box, a short AT-rich sequence with the consensus TATAAA (or a close variant), usually situated roughly 25-35 base pairs upstream (on the 5' side) of the transcription start site. Because an AT-rich stretch is held together by only two hydrogen bonds per base pair (compared to three for a GC pair), it is relatively easy for the DNA helix to be locally unwound and bent at this site, which suits its role in transcription-complex assembly. The TATA-binding protein (TBP), a subunit of the general transcription factor TFIID, specifically recognises and binds the TATA box, bending the DNA sharply; this binding event nucleates the ordered recruitment of the other general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II itself, precisely positioning the enzyme so that transcription begins at the correct start site. Genes lacking a TATA box i …
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