[1][2] It was initially discovered in Bacillus subtilis, located between the second and third gene in the eps operon (i.e., between epsB and epsC).

[1] Consistent with this observation, several potential intrinsic terminator hairpins were found inside the epsF coding region.

[1] A wild-type EAR element is capable of promoting transcriptional readthrough of these epsF terminator sites.

From these data it was hypothesized that the EAR element controls eps expression through a processive antitermination mechanism to ensure the complete synthesis of the 16 kilobase operon.

[1] Processive antitermination, as opposed to the transcription attenuation mechanism typically used by other cis-acting regulatory RNAs, is a process wherein the transcription elongation complex is altered by accessory factors to become resistant to pausing and termination signals.