RNA Pol II is known for transcribing which type of RNA?

RNA Polymerase II is primarily responsible for synthesizing messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries the genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where it serves as a template for protein synthesis. This enzyme is crucial in the process of transcription, where it binds to the promoter regions of genes and catalyzes the formation of an RNA strand complementary to the DNA template.

In addition to mRNA, RNA Polymerase II also transcribes some small nuclear RNA (snRNA), which plays a role in splicing and modifying pre-mRNA. However, the predominant function of RNA Polymerase II is associated with the synthesis of mRNA.

Other RNA types such as ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) are synthesized by different polymerases: rRNA is produced by RNA Polymerase I, while tRNA is transcribed by RNA Polymerase III. This specificity of RNA Polymerase II highlights its essential role in the process of gene expression, linking the genetic code with the production of proteins.