Important Terms

ribozyme

ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

messenger RNA (mRNA)

pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA)

transfer RNA (tRNA)

small nuclear RNA (snRNA)

small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP)

small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA)

microRNA (miRNA)

small interfering RNA (siRNA)

Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA)

CRISPR RNA (crRNA)

template strand

nontemplate strand

transcription unit

promoter

RNA-coding region

terminator

ribonucleoside triphosphate (rNTP)

RNA polymerase

core enzyme

sigma (σ) factor

holoenzyme

RNA polymerase I

RNA polymerase II

RNA polymerase III

RNA polymerase IV

RNA polymerase V

consensus sequence

–10 consensus sequence (Pribnow box)

–35 consensus sequence

upstream element

376

abortive initiation

rho-dependent terminator

rho factor

rho-independent terminator

polycistronic mRNA

general transcription factor

basal transcription apparatus

transcriptional activator protein

core promoter

TATA box

regulatory promoter

enhancer

internal promoter

TATA-binding protein (TBP)