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Related Concept Videos

Translational Regulation01:29

Translational Regulation

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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,...
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Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, or Real-time RT-PCR, is an analytical tool used to determine the expression level of target genes. The method involves converting mRNA to complementary DNA with the help of an enzyme known as reverse transcriptase, followed by the PCR amplification of the cDNA. These two processes can be performed simultaneously in a single tube or separately as a two-step reaction.
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Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...
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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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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...
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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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Single-Animal, Single-Tube RNA Extraction for Comparison of Relative Transcript Levels via qRT-PCR in the Tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris
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Temperature-driven differential gene expression by RNA thermosensors.

Stefanie Sandra Krajewski1, Franz Narberhaus1

  • 1Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|March 25, 2014
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Summary

RNA thermometers (RNATs) enable differential gene regulation within prokaryotic operons by controlling translation initiation. This review highlights RNAT mechanisms and their synthetic biology applications.

Keywords:
Heat shockOperonRNA structureRNA thermometerTranslationVirulence

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Prokaryotic genes are often organized into operons, transcribed as a single polycistronic mRNA.
  • Differential gene regulation within operons occurs primarily at the translational level, influenced by ribosome binding site (RBS) accessibility.

Approach:

  • This review provides an overview of various RNA thermometer (RNAT) types, focusing on recently discovered ones.
  • It specifically examines the role of RNATs in the differential control of polycistronic operons.
  • The influence of temperature on other riboregulators and the potential of RNATs in synthetic RNA biology are discussed.

Key Points:

  • RNA thermometers (RNATs) are cis-regulatory elements that modulate gene expression in response to temperature changes.
  • RNATs function by altering the structural accessibility of the ribosome binding site (RBS), thereby controlling translation initiation.
  • Differential regulation of genes within a polycistronic mRNA can be achieved by employing specific RNATs.

Conclusions:

  • RNATs offer a powerful mechanism for temperature-dependent, differential gene regulation in polycistronic operons.
  • Understanding RNATs is crucial for advancing synthetic RNA biology and engineering novel gene circuits.