title: [The big world of the small RNAs].
abstract: In the last ten years a great number of RNAs have been discovered that function by regulating gene expression and do not code for a protein. This RNAs are named ncRNAs or sRNAs (non coding RNAs or small RNAs). More than 70 sRNAs have been documented in Escherichia coli and function by inhibiting/ promoting translation or degradation, some have intrinsic catalytic properties and others modify the activity of a protein. The mechanisms of action of some of them will be reviewed as well as the efforts to find new sRNAs by systematic oriented searches.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Mor., 62250, México. juanm@ibt.unam.mx
authors.forename: Juan Miranda
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ríos
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D022661:RNA, Untranslated