Diversification of the Rho transcription termination factor in bacteria.

Nucleic Acids Res

Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago 9054, New Zealand.

Published: August 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Correct termination of transcription is crucial for gene expression in bacteria and often involves the Rho factor, which has three main conserved domains but varies in structure among different bacterial species.
  • Analyzing 2730 bacterial genomes, the study finds that nearly half have a standard Rho structure similar to E. coli, while the other species display diverse and atypical Rho forms, including unique RNA-binding domains.
  • The research highlights that these atypical Rho factors exhibit exceptional diversity and are predicted to have significant roles in bacterial function and survival, particularly under stressful conditions, suggesting a broader importance in cellular processes.

Article Abstract

Correct termination of transcription is essential for gene expression. In bacteria, factor-dependent termination relies on the Rho factor, that classically has three conserved domains. Some bacteria also have a functional insertion region. However, the variation in Rho structure among bacteria has not been analyzed in detail. This study determines the distribution, sequence conservation, and predicted features of Rho factors with diverse domain architectures by analyzing 2730 bacterial genomes. About half (49.8%) of the species analyzed have the typical Escherichia coli like Rho while most of the other species (39.8%) have diverse, atypical forms of Rho. Besides conservation of the main domains, we describe a duplicated RNA-binding domain present in specific species and novel variations in the bicyclomycin binding pocket. The additional regions observed in Rho proteins exhibit remarkable diversity. Commonly, however, they have exceptional amino acid compositions and are predicted to be intrinsically disordered, to undergo phase separation, or have prion-like behavior. Phase separation has recently been shown to play roles in Rho function and bacterial fitness during harsh conditions in one species and this study suggests a more widespread role. In conclusion, diverse atypical Rho factors are broadly distributed among bacteria, suggesting additional cellular roles.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11347177PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkae582DOI Listing

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