RNA polymerase in a prokaryote is composed of several subunits. Most of these subunits are the same for the transcription of any gene, but one, known as sigma, varies considerably. Which of the following is the most probable advantage for the organism of such sigma switching?
A) It might allow the transcription process to vary from one cell to another.
B) It might allow the polymerase to recognize different promoters under certain environmental conditions.
C) It could allow the polymerase to react differently to each stop codon.
D) It could allow ribosomal subunits to assemble at faster rates.
E) It could alter the rate of translation and of exon splicing.
Architecture of the replicative DNA polymerase III holoenzyme from E. coli
DNA Polymerase Binds to the Template Strand.p2
DNA looping permits interaction of bound NtrC and s54–RNA polymerase
The structure of yeast Mediator in complex with RNA polymerase II
The chemical reaction catalyzed by DNA polymerase I
Bacterial RNA polymerase core plus a sigma