Bacterial gene regulation: from transcription attenuation to riboswitches and ribozymes.
Since the discovery of transcription attenuation as a mechanism of bacterial gene regulation, a broad variety of attenuation mechanisms have been unveiled and analysed. In 2002, the first convincing experimental evidence for metabolite-mediated attenuation, termed riboswitch, was published. Subsequently, riboswitches have been found to be widespread among bacteria and are also used in some eukaryotes. A surprising new finding has been a riboswitch acting as a metabolite-responsive ribozyme - the first new naturally occurring ribozyme discovered since 1990.
AG Bakteriengenetik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Hans-Knöll-Str. 2, D-07745 Jena, Germany. sabine.brantl@rz.uni-jena.de
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D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012333:RNA, Messenger