Strands in Transcription Bubble
During transcription, RNA polymerase unwinds a short section of the DNA double helix near the start of the gene. This unwound section is known as the transcription bubble. The RNA polymerase, and therefore the transcription bubble, travels along the noncoding strand in the opposite, 3' to 5', direction, as well as polymerizing a newly synthesized strand in 5' to 3' or downstream direction. The DNA double helix is rewound by RNA polymerase at the rear of the transcription bubble (Lewin, pp 235 ). Like how a zipper works, only it unzips it and rezips it without going back and forth.
Read more about this topic: Coding Strand
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