Transcription of E. coli lac operon by RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a classic example of how the basic functions of this enzyme, specifically the ability to recognize/bind promoters, melt the DNA and initiate RNA synthesis, is positively regulated by transcription activators, such as cyclic AMP-receptor protein, CRP, and negatively regulated by lac-repressor, LacI. In this review, we discuss the recent progress in structural and biochemical studies of RNAP and its binary and ternary complexes with CRP and lac promoter. With structural information now available for RNAP and models of binary and ternary elongation complexes, the interaction between these factors and RNAP can be modeled, and possible molecular mechanisms of their action can be inferred. To cite this article: S. Borukhov, J. Lee, C. R. Biologies 328 (2005).