One of the termination mechanisms in bacteria utilizes the ____ factor that is an ATP-dependent helicase.
A) α (alpha)
B) β (beta)
C) γ (gamma)
D) ε (delta)
E) ρ (rho)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ρ factor is an ATP-dependent helicase that recognizes a specific DNA sequence (the rho utilization site) on the RNA transcript being synthesized by RNA polymerase. Once it binds to the RNA, ρ factor moves along the RNA in the 5' to 3' direction, using its helicase activity to separate the RNA-DNA hybrid, and eventually to dissociate RNA polymerase from the DNA template, thus terminating transcription. Therefore, the correct answer is E) ρ (rho).

One of the Termination Mechanisms in Bacteria Utilizes the ____