Structures of RNA polymerase enzymes have advanced our understanding of transcription initiation in all kingdoms of life. This Review discusses bacterial promoter structure, recent advances in our understanding of the successive promoter–RNA polymerase complexes that contribute to the kinetics of transcription initiation and unconventional regulators that target RNA polymerase, but not DNA, for the control of transcription initiation in bacteria.
- Shanil P. Haugen
- Wilma Ross
- Richard L. Gourse
