[Riboswitches]

Riboswitches are RNA structures able to bind small molecules and regulate gene expression at both, transcriptional and translational level. They are present in a wide variety of bacterial species. In Bacillus subtilis more than 2% of the genome is regulated by riboswitches. Metabolite binding is highly specific and can be provided in cooperative manner. Several riboswitches has been identified and characterized to be specific for flavin mononucleotide, thiamine, thiamine pyrophosphate, adenosylcobalamin, S-adenosylmethionine, lysine, glycine, adenine, guanine and glucosamine-6-phosphate. Some of them have been found also in fungi (Neurospora crassa) and plants (Oryza sativa, Arabidopsis thaliana). In human only one riboswitch with binding capacity for 2-aminopurine, has been found. Occurrence of riboswitches in all of the phylogenetic groups suggests that they are one of the oldest regulatory systems. It provokes also the question about their involvement in regulation of gene expression in human.