A dual-function RNA balances carbon uptake and central metabolism in Vibrio cholerae.

Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) are well known to modulate gene expression by base pairing with trans-encoded transcripts and are typically non-coding. However, several sRNAs have been reported to also contain an open reading frame and thus are considered dual-function RNAs. In this study, we discovered a dual-function RNA from Vibrio cholerae, called VcdRP, harboring a 29 amino acid small protein (VcdP), as well as a base-pairing sequence.