Structural basis of Integrator-mediated transcription regulation

How Integrator ends transcription early Transcription is the central process that activates the genetic information in cells, but our understanding of how gene transcription is regulated is incomplete. The so-called Integrator can stop the transcribing enzyme RNA polymerase II at the beginning of genes, but how such downregulation of transcription occurs is unclear. Fianu et al . present the three-dimensional structure of Integrator bound to the transcribing polymerase complex, providing molecular and mechanistic insights into how Integrator mediates transcription regulation. —DJ