RNA polymerase V is a plant nuclear RNA polymerase involved in RNA-directed DNA methylation. It produces noncoding transcripts that help recruit silencing machinery to selected genomic regions. Its role differs from RNA polymerase IV, which contributes to the small-RNA-generating arm of the pathway. These specialized polymerases connect transcription to repression, illustrating that making RNA need not imply productive expression of a protein-coding gene. [ref]
New to topics? Read the docs here!