2-19 Transcription and translation occur on the surface of the nucleoid

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So we have told you that the DNA in the cell has a very compact structure because of DNA-binding proteins, but we have also said that that structure is very dynamic because gene transcription is going on all of the time. This paradox creates a very difficult situation for the cell that only becomes worse when it is time to replicate the chromosome. Remember that prokaryotes continue to perform gene expression throughout replication, in contrast to eukaryotes. As you will learn below, transcription and translation are coupled in bacteria - the beginning of the messenger RNA (mRNA), termed the 5' end, is being actively translated while last portion, termed the 3' end, is still being synthesized. This process is depicted in Figure 2-29. Yet the internal regions of the nucleoid appear to be devoid of ribosomes and non DNA-binding proteins, suggesting that all transcription and translation must occur on the surface of the nucleoid. Therefore the cell must shift this large tangle of DNA around by some unknown mechanism as gene expression of certain buried sequences is needed. It is a marvel that the whole process of transcription, translation and replication works at all, especially within the very small confines of the cell.

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