Is DNA helicase part of RNAP?

[Monkeymaniac]

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Is DNA helicase that's also used during replication a part of RNAP? if not, is DNA helicase that's used during transcription different from one that's used during replication?

 

[Monkeymaniac]

Anyone please?

 

[PiBond]

this is beyond the scope of the MCAT. in the event that they do ask this kind of question, the information would be in the passage

my philosophy: if it doesn't appear in the first few links in a google search, don't be too concerned about it

 

[RogueUnicorn]

OP you ask a LOT of out of scope detail questions. focus yourself.

 

[Don Draper]

Is DNA helicase that's also used during replication a part of RNAP? if not, is DNA helicase that's used during transcription different from one that's used during replication?

Like they said, this is likely beyond MCAT knowledge.

RNA polymerase doesn't need a helicase so to speak to open up the DNA. Although it does have many transcriptional activator proteins that bind along side it to begin transcription (over 100 proteins, that's right: one hundred proteins are involved).

What it does is by binding to the DNA it creates a kink in the strand and then it is able to incorporate the new complementary bases to the particular strand it is copying.

We talk about RNA polymerase like it is all alone, but there are really about 100 proteins that gather before it starts transcription. Again though, this is beyond the MCAT.

The RNA polymerase isn't actually binding to a single strand of DNA, it binds to a double strand and IN THE MIDDLE of the polymerase the strands open up. This is much different than DNA polymerase which is actually running along a single strand of DNA.

I found a pic that explains it much better than I can:

 

[Don Draper]

OP you ask a LOT of out of scope detail questions. focus yourself.

This is good advice. Time spent on extraneous details means time not spent on your weaknesses.