CDK9 inhibition in human cells uncovers that Pol II pause duration regulates the frequency of productive transcription initiation.

The phosphorylation of tyrosine in the heptad repeat of the C-terminal domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II promotes Ser2 phosphorylation by P-TEFb for pausing release.

Ssl2 processivity determines the window for transcription start site selection during promoter scanning by RNA polymerase II in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The requirements for preinitiation complex formation/stability and transcription by RNA polymerase II in yeast cells are different from those in vitro, thereby altering the current view of basal transcription.

The ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler Chd1 controls nucleosome turnover to allow RNA Polymerase to transcribe in vivo.

Histone variant H2A.Z is deposited near transcription start sites by the chromatin remodeler SWR1 and seems to be removed by RNA polymerase II at an early stage of transcription elongation.

TATA-box binding protein is not required for RNA Polymerase II transcription in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Natural genetic variation reveals how DNA sequence impacts core transcriptional processes of initiation, pause, and termination.

The first zygotic genes are transcribed without RNA polymerase II pausing from a TATA-enriched promoter.

Tat uses unexpected regulatory mechanisms to reprogram target immune cells to promote viral replication and rewire pathways beneficial for HIV.