title: RNA sensors and riboswitches: self-regulating messages.
abstract: Recent years have seen the discovery of myriad new regulatory and catalytic functions for RNA. A series of new studies have now demonstrated that certain RNA sequences can directly sense ambient temperature or any of a variety of small molecule metabolites. Remarkably, these sensors allow associated mRNAs to regulate their own transcription or translation accordingly, without the need for regulatory proteins.
authors.affiliation: 545 Life Sciences Addition, University of California, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA. lai@fruitfly.org
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D013696:Temperature; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014815:Vitamins
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D012313:RNA