Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg.
Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Microbiol Spectr. 2018 Jul;6(4). doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.RWR-0002-2017.
Bacterial regulatory RNAs are key players in adaptation to changing environmental conditions and response to diverse cellular stresses. However, while regulatory RNAs of bacterial pathogens have been intensely studied under defined conditions , characterization of their role during the infection of eukaryotic host organisms is lagging behind. This review summarizes our current understanding of the contribution of the different classes of regulatory RNAs and RNA-binding proteins to bacterial virulence and illustrates their role in infection by reviewing the mechanisms of some prominent representatives of each class. Emerging technologies are described that bear great potential for global, unbiased studies of virulence-related RNAs in bacterial model and nonmodel pathogens in the future. The review concludes by deducing common principles of RNA-mediated gene expression control of virulence programs in different pathogens, and by defining important open questions for upcoming research in the field.
细菌调控 RNA 是适应环境变化和应对各种细胞应激的关键因素。然而,尽管已经在特定条件下对细菌病原体的调控 RNA 进行了深入研究,但对其在真核宿主感染过程中的作用的描述却落后了。本综述总结了我们目前对不同类别调控 RNA 和 RNA 结合蛋白对细菌毒力的贡献的理解,并通过回顾每种类别一些突出代表的机制,说明了它们在感染中的作用。描述了新兴技术,这些技术具有在未来对细菌模型和非模型病原体的与毒力相关的 RNA 进行全球、无偏研究的巨大潜力。该综述最后推断了不同病原体中与毒力相关的 RNA 介导的基因表达调控的共同原则,并确定了该领域未来研究的重要开放性问题。