U-turns and regulatory RNAs.
Conventional antisense RNAs, such as those controlling plasmid replication and maintenance, inhibit the function of their target RNAs rapidly and efficiently. Novel findings show that a common U-turn loop structure mediates fast RNA pairing in the majority of these RNA controlled systems. Usually, an antisense RNA regulates a single, cognate target RNA only. Recent reports, however, show that antisense RNAs can act as promiscuous regulators that control multiple genes in concert to integrate complex physiological responses in Escherichia coli.
Franch
T
T
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, 5230, Denmark.
Gerdes
K
K
D020029:Base Pairing / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012329:RNA, Bacterial