g Termination of transcription in bacteria occurs when . a hairpin secondary structure forms in the RNA transcript, and it separates from the RNA polymerase the 5' cap structure on the nascent (new) RNA molecule loops back and interferes with RNA polymerase a deoxyribonucleotide is base-paired to the 3' end of the transcript, signaling completion large and small subunits of the RNA polymerase dissociate