DNA transcription is a tightly choreographed event: How RNA polymerase II regulates the dance

The instructions for life are written in DNA, but it is the enzyme RNA polymerase II (Pol II) that reads the script, transcribes the RNA in eukaryotic cells, and ultimately gives rise to proteins. Scientists know that Pol II must progress through the gene in perfect synchronization with other biological processes; Aberrations in the movement of this enzyme have been linked to cancer and aging. But technical obstacles have prevented them from determining precisely how this important molecular machine moves along DNA and what governs its pauses and accelerations.