title: Modular arrangement of regulatory RNA elements.
abstract: Due to their simple architecture and control mechanism, regulatory RNA modules are attractive building blocks in synthetic biology. This is especially true for riboswitches, which are natural ligand-binding regulators of gene expression. The discovery of various tandem riboswitches inspired the design of combined RNA modules with activities not yet found in nature. Riboswitches were placed in tandem or in combination with a ribozyme or temperature-responsive RNA thermometer resulting in new functionalities. Here, we compare natural examples of tandem riboswitches with recently designed artificial RNA regulators suggesting substantial modularity of regulatory RNA elements. Challenges associated with modular RNA design are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum , Bochum , Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roßmanith
authors.affiliation: a Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum , Bochum , Germany.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Narberhaus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid; D058928:Riboswitch; D052156:SELEX Aptamer Technique; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid; D058928:Riboswitch; D012313:RNA
keywords: RNA thermometer; Riboswitch; posttranscriptional regulation; ribozyme; synthetic biology