Unexpected versatility in bacterial riboswitches

Bacterial riboswitches are elements present in the 5'-untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNA molecules that bind to ligands and regulate the expression of downstream genes. Riboswitches typically regulate the expression of protein-coding genes. However, mechanisms of riboswitch-mediated regulation have recently been shown to be more diverse than originally thought, with reports showing that riboswitches can regulate the expression of noncoding RNAs and control the access of proteins, such as transcription termination factor Rho and RNase E, to a nascent RNA. Riboswitches are also increasingly used in biotechnology, with advances in the engineering of synthetic riboswitches and the development of riboswitch-based sensors. In this review we address the emerging roles and mechanisms of riboswitch-mediated regulation in natura and recent progress in the development of riboswitch-based technology.