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A decade of riboswitches
Alexander Serganov1, Evgeny Nudler
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. alexander.serganov@nyumc.org
Cell
|January 22, 2013
Summary
Riboswitches are RNA sensors that regulate gene expression by binding small molecules. These natural sensors have broad applications in medicine and synthetic biology.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
Background:
- Riboswitches are RNA molecules that sense and bind small metabolites.
- First discovered in bacteria, they regulate gene expression in all domains of life.
- Their regulatory roles extend to transcription, translation, splicing, and RNA stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the fundamental principles of riboswitch function.
- To highlight the diverse roles and mechanisms of riboswitches.
- To discuss the implications of riboswitch research.
Main Methods:
- Biochemical studies
- Structural analyses
- Genetic investigations
Main Results:
- Riboswitches bind various small molecules and ions.
- They control gene expression through diverse mechanisms.
- Their function is conserved across bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes.
Conclusions:
- Riboswitches are versatile genetic regulatory elements.
- Understanding riboswitches has implications for antibiotic development.
- Riboswitches can be engineered for molecular sensing and synthetic biology circuits.
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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.
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