[Putative temperature sensitive riboswitchers in Salmonella genome]

Area of Science:

• Bacterial genetics and gene regulation
• RNA structure and function
• Computational biology and bioinformatics

Context:

• Temperature-sensitive RNA elements, known as RNA thermometers, regulate essential bacterial processes, including virulence.
• These elements typically feature single or multiple hairpin structures that can form matched or mismatched base pairs.
• Understanding RNA thermometers is key to deciphering bacterial adaptation and pathogenicity.

Purpose:

• To develop a computational and thermodynamical algorithm for identifying putative RNA thermometers in bacterial genomes.
• To apply this algorithm to 25 isolates of Salmonella enterica to discover novel temperature-sensitive elements.
• To establish criteria for searching for potential riboswitches in the genomes of significant bacterial pathogens.

Summary:

• A novel algorithm and search criteria were developed using computer and thermodynamical analysis of 25 Salmonella enterica isolates.
• In addition to the known 4U RNA thermometer, four new putative RNA thermometers were identified in S. enterica.
• Two of these novel thermometers are located in the 5'-untranslated regions (5'-UTR) of the virulence regulators gltB and yaeQ and are highly conserved across all isolates.

Impact:

• Enables the identification of novel RNA thermometers and potential riboswitches in bacterial pathogens.
• Provides insights into the regulation of virulence factors in Salmonella enterica.
• Facilitates future research into bacterial gene expression control and the development of novel antimicrobial strategies.