Work

Transcription of cis Antisense Small RNA MtlS in Vibrio cholerae Is Regulated by Transcription of Its Target Gene, mtlA

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Vibrio cholerae is a bacterial pathogen that relies on genetic tools, such as regulatory RNAs, to adapt to changing extracellular conditions. While many studies have focused on how these regulatory RNAs function, fewer have focused on how they are themselves modulated. V. cholerae expresses the noncoding RNA MtlS, which can regulate mannitol transport and use, and here we demonstrate that MtlS levels are controlled by the level of transcription occurring in the antisense direction. Our findings provide a model of regulation describing how bacteria like V. cholerae can modulate the levels of an important regulatory RNA. Our work contributes to knowledge of how bacteria deploy regulatory RNAs as an adaptive mechanism to buffer against environmental flux.

Source: Journal of Bacteriology

DOI: 10.1128/jb.00178-19

Authors: Mark G. Zhang, Jane M. Liu

Institutions: California Institute of Technology, Pomona College

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Awards: G1752255957, G2336506202, G7445584126