title: Sibling sRNA RyfA1 Influences Shigella dysenteriae Pathogenesis.
abstract: Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) of Shigella dysenteriae and other pathogens are vital for the regulation of virulence-associated genes and processes. Here, we characterize RyfA1, one member of a sibling pair of sRNAs produced by S. dysenteriae. Unlike its nearly identical sibling molecule, RyfA2, predicted to be encoded almost exclusively by non-pathogenic species, the presence of a gene encoding RyfA1, or a RyfA1-like molecule, is strongly correlated with virulence in a variety of enteropathogens. In S. dysenteriae, the overproduction of RyfA1 negatively impacts the virulence-associated process of cell-to-cell spread as well as the expression of ompC, a gene encoding a major outer membrane protein important for the pathogenesis of Shigella. Interestingly, the production of RyfA1 is controlled by a second sRNA, here termed RyfB1, the first incidence of one regulatory small RNA controlling another in S. dysenteriae or any Shigella species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Athens, OH 45701, USA. mf590113@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fris
authors.affiliation: OU Genomics Core Facility, Ohio University, 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Athens, OH 45701, USA. broach@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Broach
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Athens, OH 45701, USA. sk231407@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Klim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Athens, OH 45701, USA. coschiga@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Coschigano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Athens, OH 45701, USA. carrolr3@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: Ronan K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, 1410 Prices Fork Rd., Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA. caswellc@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Clayton C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Caswell
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, Athens, OH 45701, USA. murphye@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: Erin R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Murphy
keywords: OmpC; Shigella; pathogenesis; riboregulators; sRNA; sibling