Figure 4.

Mammalian RNAPI termination. Transcription terminates at the transcript release element composed of a stretch of Ts, upstream of the TTF-I-mediated pause site. The release factor PTRF, which interacts with RNAPI and TTF-I, recognizes the transcript release element and most likely binds the stretch of Us on the nascent RNA. The RNAPI-specific subunit Rpa12 also plays a role in yeast RNAPI termination that is possibly conserved in mammals. After cleavage of the precursor downstream from the 28S gene, Xrn2 degrades the downstream RNA, “catches up” with RNAPI, and participates in RNAPI release, possibly in conjunction with SETX. An unidentified 3′–5′ exonuclease might be involved in processing of the rRNA precursor.