| basic FUNCTION
| DNA-dependent RNA polymerase catalyzing the transcription of DNA into RNA using the four ribonucleoside triphosphates as substrates |
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may be part of a novel regulatory mechanism that coordinates mitochondrial transcription with translation and/or ribosome biogenesis during human mitochondrial gene expression |
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primase required for initiation of DNA synthesis from the light-strand origin of DNA replication  |
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can function as an origin-specific primase in mammalian mitochondria |
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serves as both the transcriptase for expression and the primase for replication of mitochondrial DNA |
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requires the factors TFAM and TFB2M for binding and melting promoter DNA |
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early phage-like POLRMT lost functions in promoter binding and melting, which were provided by initiation factors in trans during evolution, to enable mitochondrial gene regulation and the adaptation of mitochondrial function to changes in the environment |
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organization of TFAM, POLRMT and TFB2M around thelight-strand promoter (LSP), represent the first structural characterization of the entire mitochondrial transcriptional initiation complex |
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TFAM first recruits POLRMT to the promoter, followed by TFB2M binding and induction of promoter melting |
