In this video, we're going to begin our lesson on the steps of transcription. And so, the process of initiation of transcription. The second step is going to be elongation of transcription, and the third and final step is going to be the termination of transcription.
Moving forward, we're going to talk about each of these three steps of transcription in their own separate video starting with initiation. The initiation of transcription, initiation is referring to the beginning of transcription, and this involves the RNA polymerase binding to the promoter region on the DNA and separating the two strands of DNA. When those two strands of DNA are separated, that is going to allow the second step of transcription to begin. Now, it turns out that transcription in eukaryotes and prokaryotes is a little bit different. In prokaryotes, the RNA polymerase, which is the main enzyme involved in transcription, is going to bind to the promoter region on its own. However, in eukaryotes, transcription factor proteins are required for the RNA polymerase to bind to the promoter, and we'll be able to see that down below in our image. The unwinding of the DNA by the RNA polymerase is going to expose the DNA template strand, which the RNA polymerase can use as a guide to build the RNA.
If we take a look at our image, what you'll notice is on the left hand side, we're showing you initiation of transcription in prokaryotes, and on the right hand side, we're showing you initiation of transcription in eukaryotes. In the initiation, we know that the RNA polymerase is going to bind to the promoter and separate the two strands of DNA. Here in our image, the pink circle is representing the RNA polymerase, and the RNA polymerase is going to bind specifically to the promoter region on the DNA. You can also see downstream over here, you can see the terminator, which is going to be involved in the final process of transcription.
Over here on the right hand side, you'll see the same process, initiation of transcription in eukaryotes. The main difference that we're focusing on here is that in order for the RNA polymerase to bind to the promoter region in eukaryotes, these other proteins that we're representing as these yellow shapes here, are required, and those are the transcription factor proteins. In eukaryotes, RNA polymerase requires transcription factor proteins to bind to the promoter, and that will allow for the RNA polymerase to bind. In the eukaryotes here, and in the background, you can see that the transcription factors are bound, and that helps recruit the RNA polymerase so that the RNA polymerase can also bind to the promoter. Again, transcription initiation is going to allow for the second step of transcription to begin, which is elongation. We'll talk more about elongation, the second step of transcription, in our next video. So, I'll see you all there.