title: Identification of a Novel Small Non-Coding RNA Modulating the Intracellular Survival of Brucella melitensis.
abstract: Bacterial small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are gene expression modulators respond to environmental changes, stressful conditions, and pathogenesis. In this study, by using a combined bioinformatic and experimental approach, eight novel sRNA genes were identified in intracellular pathogen Brucella melitensis. BSR0602, one sRNA that was highly induced in stationary phase, was further examined and found to modulate the intracellular survival of B. melitensis. BSR0602 was present at very high levels in vitro under stresses similar to those encountered during infection in host macrophages. Furthermore, BSR0602 was found to be highly expressed in the spleens of infected mice, suggesting its potential role in the control of pathogenesis. BSR0602 targets the mRNAs coding for gntR, a global transcriptional regulator, which is required for B. melitensis virulence. Overexpression of BSR0602 results in distinct reduction in the gntR mRNA level. B. melitensis with high level of BSR0602 is defective in bacteria intracellular survival in macrophages and defective in growth in the spleens of infected mice. Therefore, BSR0602 may directly inhibit the expression of gntR, which then impairs Brucellae intracellular survival and contributes to Brucella infection. Our findings suggest that BSR0602 is responsible for bacterial adaptation to stress conditions and thus modulate B. melitensis intracellular survival.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces , Beijing , China.
authors: Yufei
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Yuehua
authors: Y
authors: Ke
authors: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology in Jiangsu Province, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Ligui
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Tongkun
authors: T
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces , Beijing , China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces , Beijing , China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Chunli
authors: C
authors: Gong
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Jiuyun
authors: J
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Yubin
authors: Y
authors: Zhuang
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Chang
authors: C
authors: An
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Shuangshuang
authors: S
authors: Lei
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Xinying
authors: X
authors: Du
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Zhoujia
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Wenna
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Xitong
authors: X
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Liuyu
authors: L
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces , Beijing , China.
authors: Xiaoli
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Infectious Disease Control, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences , Beijing , China.
authors: Zeliang
authors: Z
authors: Chen
keywords: Brucella; intracellular survival; post-transcriptional control; small RNA; stress response; virulence