Ames Tyler D, Rodionov Dmitry A, Weinberg Zasha, Breaker Ronald R
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, Box 208103, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA.
Chem Biol. 2010 Jul 30;17(7):681-5. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2010.05.020.
Comparative sequence analyses of bacterial genomes are revealing many structured RNA motifs that function as metabolite-binding riboswitches. We have identified an RNA motif frequently positioned in the 5' UTRs of folate transport and biosynthesis genes in Firmicute genomes. Biochemical experiments confirm that representatives of this new-found RNA class selectively bind derivatives of the vitamin folate, including di- and tetrahydrofolate coenzymes. In addition, representatives of this aptamer class occasionally reside upstream of RNA structures that are predicted to control translation initiation in response to ligand binding. These findings expand the number of coenzymes that are directly sensed by RNA and reveal possible riboswitch-controlled regulons that respond to changes in single-carbon metabolism.
细菌基因组的比较序列分析揭示了许多作为代谢物结合核糖开关发挥作用的结构化RNA基序。我们已经在厚壁菌门基因组中叶酸转运和生物合成基因的5' UTR中发现了一个经常定位的RNA基序。生化实验证实，这一新发现的RNA类别的代表物选择性结合维生素叶酸的衍生物，包括二氢叶酸和四氢叶酸辅酶。此外，这一适体类别的代表物偶尔位于预测可响应配体结合而控制翻译起始的RNA结构上游。这些发现增加了可被RNA直接感知的辅酶数量，并揭示了可能受核糖开关控制的、对单碳代谢变化作出反应的调控子。
