title: Unexpected versatility in bacterial riboswitches.
abstract: Bacterial riboswitches are elements present in the 5'-untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNA molecules that bind to ligands and regulate the expression of downstream genes. Riboswitches typically regulate the expression of protein-coding genes. However, mechanisms of riboswitch-mediated regulation have recently been shown to be more diverse than originally thought, with reports showing that riboswitches can regulate the expression of noncoding RNAs and control the access of proteins, such as transcription termination factor Rho and RNase E, to a nascent RNA. Riboswitches are also increasingly used in biotechnology, with advances in the engineering of synthetic riboswitches and the development of riboswitch-based sensors. In this review we address the emerging roles and mechanisms of riboswitch-mediated regulation in natura and recent progress in the development of riboswitch-based technology.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, 75015 Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 604, 75015 Paris, France; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité USC2020, 75015 Paris, France.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mellin
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, 75015 Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 604, 75015 Paris, France; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité USC2020, 75015 Paris, France. Electronic address: pascale.cossart@pasteur.fr.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cossart
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D058928:Riboswitch / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D058928:Riboswitch; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C022537:ribonuclease E