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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Inducing a Site Specific Replication Blockage in E. coli Using a Fluorescent Repressor Operator System
Published on: August 21, 2016
Interaction between the antisense and target RNAs involved in the regulation of IncB plasmid replication
K R Siemering1, J Praszkier, A J Pittard
1Department of Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract:
Physical analysis of RNA I, the small antisense RNA which regulates the replication of IncB miniplasmid pMU720, showed that it is a highly structured molecule containing an imperfectly paired stem closed by a 6-base hairpin loop. Mutational studies revealed that a 3-base sequence in the hairpin loop is critical to the interaction between RNA I and its complementary target in the RepA mRNA (RNA II). Furthermore, a 2-base interior loop in the upper stem was found to play an important role in facilitating effective binding between RNA I and RNA II. From these analyses, a model describing the molecular mechanism of binding between RNA I and RNA II is proposed.
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