Regulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors by two novel RNA thermometers
Abstract
Several bacteria that are pathogens of humans regulate the production of virulence factors in response to temperature changes, expressing them only at 37 °C. This thermoregulation is commonly due to the presence of RNA structures (RNA thermometers) in the 5' regions of transcripts specifying regulatory proteins responsible for the expression of virulence-associated traits. At environmental conditions, RNA thermometers possess structures that block translation initiation of mRNAs, whereas at body temperature these structures are no longer stable, allowing the synthesis of their corresponding proteins. We report for the first time, to our knowledge, the molecular basis of thermoregulation of virulence-factor production in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and have determined that this regulation is achieved by two RNA thermometers with previously unidentified characteristics not previously reported in bacteria.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- October 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1402536111
- Bibcode:
- 2014PNAS..11115562G