A Qrr non-coding RNA deploys four different regulatory mechanisms to optimize quorum-sensing dynamics
Quorum sensing is a cell-cell communication process that bacteria use to transition between individual and social lifestyles. In vibrios, homologous small RNAs called the Qrr sRNAs function at the center of quorum-sensing pathways. The Qrr sRNAs regulate multiple mRNA targets including those encodin...
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Published in | Cell Vol. 160; pp. 228 - 240 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
08.01.2015
|
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Quorum sensing is a cell-cell communication process that bacteria use to transition between individual and social lifestyles. In vibrios, homologous small RNAs called the Qrr sRNAs function at the center of quorum-sensing pathways. The Qrr sRNAs regulate multiple mRNA targets including those encoding the quorum-sensing regulatory components
luxR
,
luxO
,
luxM
, and
aphA
. We show that a representative Qrr, Qrr3, uses four distinct mechanisms to control its particular targets: Qrr3 sRNA represses
luxR
through catalytic degradation, represses
luxM
through coupled degradation, represses
luxO
through sequestration, and activates
aphA
by revealing the ribosome-binding site while the sRNA itself is degraded. Qrr3 forms different base-pairing interactions with each mRNA target, and the particular pairing strategy determines which regulatory mechanism occurs. Combined mathematical modeling and experiments show that the specific Qrr regulatory mechanism employed governs the potency, dynamics and competition of target mRNA regulation, which in turn, defines the overall quorum-sensing response. |
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Bibliography: | Present address: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA Present address: Genentech, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94080, USA |
ISSN: | 0092-8674 1097-4172 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.cell.2014.11.051 |