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Translational Regulation

Translational Regulation

Translational regulation in prokaryotes ensures efficient protein synthesis by controlling ribosome access to mRNA. This regulation is mediated by secondary RNA structures, including translational riboswitches, RNA thermometers, and small RNAs (sRNAs), which respond to intracellular and environmental signals to modulate gene expression.Translational RiboswitchesRiboswitches in the leader region of mRNAs can regulate translation by altering the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence,...

Riboswitches

Riboswitches

Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...

Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches

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Riboswitches are RNA elements that regulate gene expression by altering their secondary structures in response to specific effector molecules. These elements, located in the leader regions of certain mRNAs, act as transcriptional regulators by toggling between alternative conformations to control downstream gene expression. Riboswitch-mediated regulation is a precise mechanism for modulating biosynthetic pathways, as exemplified by the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway in Bacillus...

Types of RNA

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Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...

Types of RNA

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Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
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Ribosome Profiling

Ribosome profiling or ribo-sequencing is a deep sequencing technique that produces a snapshot of active translation in a cell. It selectively sequences the mRNAs protected by ribosomes to get an insight into a cell’s translation landscape at any given point in time.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Nanomanipulation of Single RNA Molecules by Optical Tweezers

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Published on: August 20, 2014

Exploiting preQ(1) riboswitches to regulate ribosomal frameshifting.

Chien-Hung Yu¹, Jinghui Luo, Dirk Iwata-Reuyl

¹Department of Molecular Genetics, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, Leiden, The Netherlands.

ACS Chemical Biology

|January 19, 2013

Summary

A new assay reveals how preQ(1) riboswitch aptamers bind their target metabolite, 7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine (preQ(1)). This method uses ribosomal frameshifting to study these interactions and screen for new drugs.

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Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Genetics

Background:

Riboswitches regulate gene expression through metabolite binding.
Understanding riboswitch-metabolite interactions is key to controlling gene expression.
The preQ(1) riboswitch aptamer binds 7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine (preQ(1)).

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel in vitro assay for studying preQ(1) riboswitch aptamer-metabolite interactions.
To investigate the molecular details of preQ(1) binding to its aptamer.
To establish a screening system for small molecules targeting bacterial riboswitches.

Main Methods:

Development of an in vitro assay based on ligand-induced pseudoknotted structure formation.
Measurement of -1 ribosomal frameshifting (-1 FS) stimulated by preQ(1) aptamers.
In-depth mutational analysis of the Fusobacterium nucleatum preQ(1) aptamer.

Main Results:

The assay successfully detected preQ(1) binding by inducing -1 FS in aptamers from three species (7-20% efficiency).
PreQ(1) analogues showed significantly lower efficiency (100-1000 fold) in stimulating -1 FS.
Mutational analysis confirmed known structural features of preQ(1) aptamers and elucidated nucleotide roles in ligand binding.

Conclusions:

The novel assay effectively measures preQ(1) riboswitch aptamer activity and ligand binding.
The findings provide detailed molecular insights into preQ(1) riboswitch function.
The developed system is a valuable tool for screening potential antibacterial compounds targeting riboswitches.