An array of external factors, an important one being temperature, decide the fate of survival in a microbe. The ability of microbes to sense external cues and to regulate the expression of genes accordingly is critical for its likely survival. Among a myriad of cellular defence mechanisms, a strategy to recuperate stress involves RNA regulatory elements. RNAs own a repertoire of functions in a cell as messengers, for transfer or as a component of ribosomes. A shift from its indigenous role is as regulators of gene expression, where in the cis-encoded RNA termed as "RNA Thermometers" play a pivotal role in translational level of gene expression. In this paper, we review the occurrence, the different types and molecular mechanism of gene regulation by RNATs, with a special focus limited to the domain Bacteria. We discuss the role of RNATs in mediating expression of temperature-responsive genes like heat shock/cold attributing in heat/cold shock response and a cascade of virulence genes to evade host defence mechanisms.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagrm.2022.194871 | DOI Listing |
J Bacteriol
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Unlabelled: Type IV pili (T4P) are important virulence factors that allow bacteria to adhere to and rapidly colonize their hosts. T4P are primarily composed of major pilins that undergo cycles of extension and retraction and minor pilins that initiate pilus assembly. Bacteriophages use T4P as receptors and exploit pilus dynamics to infect their hosts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmBio
January 2025
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
As a universal language across the bacterial kingdom, the quorum sensing signal autoinducer-2 (AI-2) can coordinate many bacterial group behaviors. However, unknown AI-2 receptors in bacteria may be more than what has been discovered so far, and there are still many unknown functions for this signal waiting to be explored. Here, we have identified a membrane-bound histidine kinase of the pathogenic bacterium , AsrK, as a receptor that specifically detects AI-2 under low boron conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Environ Microbiol
January 2025
Clinical Infection Department, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Unlabelled: Remote polar regions offer unique opportunities and significant challenges for antimicrobial resistance research in a near-pristine environment. While core microbiology techniques continue to have an important role in supporting environmental research, the severe cold climate presents considerable challenges to laboratory research. We explore adaptations required for core bacteriology investigations in polar regions on an unsupported remote expedition c.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmerg Microbes Infect
January 2025
College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
Phages demonstrate remarkable promise as antimicrobial agents against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, the emergence of phage-resistant strains poses challenges to their effective application. In this paper, we presented the isolation of a phage adaptive mutant that demonstrated enhanced and sustained antibacterial efficacy through the co-evolution of () 111-2 and phage ZX1Δint .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleic Acids Res
January 2025
Quantitative Biology Group, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, Belgrade11000, Serbia.
Type II restriction-modification (R-M) systems play a pivotal role in bacterial defense against invading DNA, influencing the spread of pathogenic traits. These systems often involve coordinated expression of a regulatory protein (C) with restriction (R) enzymes, employing complex feedback loops for regulation. Recent studies highlight the crucial balance between R and M enzymes in controlling horizontal gene transfer (HGT).
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