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. 2020 Jan 23;11:450. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-14200-3

Fig. 7. Four stages of transcription cycle.

Fig. 7

(1) Initiation or reinitiation: after binding DNA (black line) at a promoter (green line), RNAP (cyan oval) incorporates several NTPs into RNA (blue line), and advances downward clearing the promoter. (2) Elongation: RNAP further advances processively downward, resuming from occasional pause or backtrack. (3) Termination: RNAP pauses at a terminator (magenta line) to undergo conformational changes, and releases RNA product. (4) Recycling: RNAP diffuses on DNA downward and upward until it reinitiates transcription at the same or another promoter unless RNAP dissociates off DNA.