Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.11.293670v1?rss=1 Authors: Plaskon, D., Henderson, K., Felth, L., Molzahn, C., Evensen, C., Dyke, S., Shkel, I., Record, T. Abstract: In transcription initiation, specific contacts between RNA polymerase (RNAP) and promoter DNA are disrupted as the RNA-DNA hybrid advances into the cleft, resulting in escape of RNAP. From the pattern of large and small rate constants for steps of initiation at {lambda}PR promoter at 19{degrees}C, we proposed that in-cleft interactions are disrupted in extending 3-mer to 5-mer RNA, -10 interactions are disrupted in extending 6-mer to 9-mer, and -35 interactions are disrupted in extending 10-mer to 11-mer, allowing RNAP to escape. Here we test this mechanism and determine enthalpic and entropic activation barriers of all steps from kinetic measurements at 25{degrees}C and 37{degrees}C. Initiation at 37{degrees}C differs significantly from expectations based on lower-temperature results. At low concentration of the second iNTP (UTP), synthesis of full-length RNA at 37{degrees}C is slower than at 25{degrees}C and no transient short RNA intermediates are observed, indicating a UTP-dependent bottleneck step early in the 37{degrees}C mechanism. Analysis reveals that the 37{degrees}C {lambda}PR OC (RPO) cannot initiate and must change conformation to a less-stable initiation complex (IC) capable of binding the iNTP. We find that IC is the primary {lambda}PR OC species below 25{degrees}C, and therefore conclude that IC must be the I3 intermediate in RPO formation. Surprisingly, Arrhenius activation energy barriers to five steps where RNAP-promoter in-cleft and -10 contacts are disrupted are much smaller than for other steps, including a negative barrier for the last of these steps. We interpret these striking effects as enthalpically-favorable, entropically-unfavorable, stepwise bubble collapse accompanying disruption of RNAP contacts. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info