title: Riboswitches and the role of noncoding RNAs in bacterial metabolic control.
abstract: Microorganisms use a plethora of genetic strategies to regulate expression of their genes. In recent years there has been an increase in the discovery and characterization of riboswitches, cis-acting regulatory RNAs that function as direct receptors for intracellular metabolites. Nine classes have been uncovered that together regulate many essential biochemical pathways. Two classes, responding to either glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P) or glycine, have been found to employ novel mechanisms of genetic control. Additionally, progress has been achieved in elucidating molecular details for regulation by the other riboswitches, via X-ray crystallography and biochemical analyses of riboswitch-metabolite interactions. The complete repertoire of metabolite-sensing RNAs and extent of their usage in modern organisms remains to be determined; however, these current data assist in establishing a foundation from which to build future expectations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9038, USA. wwinkler@biochem.swmed.edu
authors.forename: Wade C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Winkler
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D022661:RNA, Untranslated