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Author Spotlight: Understanding Rhamnolipid Regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Complex autoregulation of the post-transcriptional regulator RsmA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Fabrice Jean-Pierre1, Jonathan Perreault1, Eric Déziel1

  • 1INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC, Canada.

Microbiology (Reading, England)
|August 23, 2015
PubMed

Insights

The global regulator RsmA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa self-regulates its own gene expression. This RNA-binding protein binds its own coding sequence to control translation, a novel mechanism in pseudomonads.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis

Background:

  • RsmA is a global post-transcriptional regulator in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, controlling over 500 genes.
  • RsmA impedes mRNA translation by binding to target mRNAs.
  • The genetic regulation of RsmA itself is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transcriptional and translational regulation of the rsmA gene.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of RsmA's self-regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of RsmA binding to its own mRNA.
  • Investigating the effect of RsmA on its own gene expression at the translational level.

Main Results:

  • RsmA directly binds to a site within its own coding sequence.
  • This interaction leads to self-regulation of RsmA expression.
  • This represents an unorthodox regulatory mechanism.

Conclusions:

  • RsmA autoregulates its own expression through direct binding to its mRNA.
  • This finding reveals a novel regulatory strategy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • This study sheds light on the complex regulatory networks governing bacterial pathogenicity.

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