FAQ: What is the difference between the E.coli RNA Polymerase, Core Enzyme and Holoenzyme?

E. coli RNA Polymerase Core Enzyme consists of 5 subunits designated α, α, β', β, and ω. The enzyme is free of sigma factor and does not initiate specific transcription from bacterial and phage DNA promoters. The enzyme remains the ability to transcribe RNA from nonspecific initiation sequences. Addition of sigma factors will allow the enzyme to initiate RNA synthesis from specific bacterial and phage promoters. The core enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 400 kDa. E. coli RNA Polymerase Holoenzyme is the core enzyme saturated with sigma factor 70. The Holoenzyme initiates RNA synthesis from sigma 70 specific bacterial and phage promoters.