Identification and characterization of a cis-encoded antisense RNA associated with the replication process of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 23;8(4):e61308. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061308. Print 2013.

Abstract

Antisense RNAs that originate from the complementary strand of protein coding genes are involved in the regulation of gene expression in all domains of life. In bacteria, some of these antisense RNAs are transcriptional noise while others play a vital role to adapt the cell to changing environmental conditions. By deep sequencing analysis of transcriptome of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, a partial RNA sequence encoded in-cis to the dnaA gene was revealed. Northern blot and RACE analysis confirmed the transcription of this antisense RNA which was expressed mostly in the stationary phase of the bacterial growth and also under iron limitation and osmotic stress. Pulse expression analysis showed that overexpression of the antisense RNA resulted in a significant increase in the mRNA levels of dnaA, which will ultimately enhance their translation. Our findings have revealed that antisense RNA of dnaA is indeed transcribed not merely as a by-product of the cell's transcription machinery but plays a vital role as far as stability of dnaA mRNA is concerned.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA, Antisense / analysis*
  • RNA, Antisense / genetics*
  • RNA, Bacterial / analysis*
  • RNA, Bacterial / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid*
  • Salmonella typhi / genetics*
  • Salmonella typhi / growth & development
  • Salmonella typhi / physiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DnaA protein, Bacteria
  • RNA, Antisense
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Special Scientific Program of China (2008ZX10004-009) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (30870095). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.