Archaeal and eukaryotic RNA polymerases (RNAP) have conserved functional and structural similarities. Here, Jun et al.solve the first structure of a euryarchaeal RNAP in the open clamp conformation and identify insertions that may have evolved in eukaryotic Pol II to bind unique transcription factors.
- Sung-Hoon Jun
- Akira Hirata
- Katsuhiko S. Murakami
