transcription

[anwar]

I read that only one strand of the DNA is transcribed and the other strand doesn't.How is this decide that which strand to be transcribed?

[summer]

I read that only one strand of the DNA is transcribed and the other strand doesn't.How is this decide that which strand to be transcribed?

The promoter decides it, besides the new RNA strand is made from 5' to 3' end, so the template strand of DNA is the 3' to 5' strand. The new RNA strand has identical nucleotides (except U replaces T) as the other DNA strand that is why this other strand is called as coding strand.