U-turn DNA bending by human mitochondrial transcription factor A

► Two crystal structures show that TFAM and the LSP promoter intertwine in a U-turn. ► The two HMG domains of TFAM and the connecting linker participate in DNA bending. ► The linker and the C-terminus prompt HMG2 to cooperate with HMG1 for DNA bending. ► TFAM C-terminal tail is primed to interact with the transcription machinery. ► TFAM slides along DNA by an interacting mode likely different from LSP recognition.