TY  - JOUR
A1  - Jäger, Dominik
A1  - Pernitzsch, Sandy R.
A1  - Richter, Andreas S.
A1  - Backofen, Rolf
A1  - Sharma, Cynthia M.
A1  - Schmitz, Ruth A.
T1  - An archaeal sRNA targeting cis- and trans-encoded mRNAs via two distinct domains
JF  - Nucleic Acids Research
N2  - We report on the characterization and target analysis of the small (s) RNA\(_{162}\) in the methanoarchaeon Methanosarcina mazei. Using a combination of genetic approaches, transcriptome analysis and computational predictions, the bicistronic MM2441-MM2440 mRNA encoding the transcription factor MM2441 and a protein of unknown function was identified as a potential target of this sRNA, which due to processing accumulates as three stabile 5' fragments in late exponential growth. Mobility shift assays using various mutants verified that the non-structured single-stranded linker region of sRNA\(_{162}\) (SLR) base-pairs with the MM2440-MM2441 mRNA internally, thereby masking the predicted ribosome binding site of MM2441. This most likely leads to translational repression of the second cistron resulting in dis-coordinated operon expression. Analysis of mutant RNAs in vivo confirmed that the SLR of sRNA\(_{162}\) is crucial for target interactions. Furthermore, our results indicate that sRNA\(_{162}\)-controlled MM2441 is involved in regulating the metabolic switch between the carbon sources methanol and methylamine. Moreover, biochemical studies demonstrated that the 50 end of sRNA\(_{162}\) targets the 5'-untranslated region of the cis-encoded MM2442 mRNA. Overall, this first study of archaeal sRNA/mRNA-target interactions unraveled that sRNA\(_{162}\) acts as an antisense (as) RNA on cis- and trans-encoded mRNAs via two distinct domains, indicating that cis-encoded asRNAs can have larger target regulons than previously anticipated.
KW  - strain
KW  - escherichia coli
KW  - methanosarcina mazei GO1
KW  - methanol methyltransferase isozymes
KW  - small nucleolar RNAs
KW  - acetivorans C2A
KW  - antisense RNAs
KW  - GO1
KW  - transcriptional regulator
KW  - translational initiation
KW  - pyrococcus furiosus
Y1  - 2012
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134972
VL  - 40
IS  - 21
ER  -