Why is transcription coupled to translation in bacteria?

SummaryActive mechanisms exist to prevent transcription that is uncoupled from translation in the protein‐coding genes of bacteria, as exemplified by the phenomenon of nonsense polarity. Bacterial transcription–translation coupling may be viewed as one among several co‐transcriptional processes, including those for mRNA processing and export in the eukaryotes, that operate in the various life forms to render the nascent transcript unavailable for formation of otherwise deleterious R‐loops in the genome.