具有真细菌和真核生物融合特征的古生菌转录系统

Combination of Bacterial and Eukaryotic Features in The Transcription System of Archaea

古生菌是一类区别于真细菌和真核生物的第三域生命形式 ,转录是生物体遗传信息传递系统中的一个中心环节。近年来研究结果表明 ,古生菌的转录系统具有真细菌和真核生物的融合特征 :古生菌的基本转录装置包括RNA聚合酶、基本转录因子、启动子元件等与真核生物相似 ;而古生菌的转录调控机制却更加类似于真细菌 ,在古生菌中发现并鉴定了许多类似于真细菌的转录调控蛋白。

Archaea is the third domain of life different from Bacteria and Eukarya. Transcription is the main step in the transmission process of genetic information. In this paper we briefly summarize and review the main research progress about the archaeal transcription in recent years. The research results reveal that the transcription system of Archaea possesses a combination of both eukaryotic and bacterial features. The basal transcription apparatus (including RNA polymerase, basal transcription factors and promoter element) resembles that of Eukarya. But the transcriptional regulatory mechanism more resembles that of Bacteria. A number of transcriptional regulatory protein like that of Bacteria have been found and identified in Archaea. Archaea also has some unique transcriptional regulatory modes.