MicF RNA
Encyclopedia
The micF RNA is a non-coding RNA
Non-coding RNA
A non-coding RNA is a functional RNA molecule that is not translated into a protein. Less-frequently used synonyms are non-protein-coding RNA , non-messenger RNA and functional RNA . The term small RNA is often used for short bacterial ncRNAs...

 stress response gene found in Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...

and related bacteria that post-transcriptionally controls expression of the outer membrane porin gene ompF. The micF gene encodes a non-translated 93 nucleotide
Nucleotide
Nucleotides are molecules that, when joined together, make up the structural units of RNA and DNA. In addition, nucleotides participate in cellular signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions...

 antisense RNA that binds its target ompF mRNA and regulates ompF expression by inhibiting translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...

 and inducing degradation of the message. In addition, other factors, such as the RNA chaperone protein StpA also play a role in this regulatory system. Expression of micF is controlled by both environmental and internal stress factors. Four transcriptional regulators are known to bind the micF promoter region and activate micF expression.

Species distribution

Homologues of MicF RNA have been characterised by Southern blotting in a variety of bacteria including Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MicF has also been identified computationally in Yersinia pestis and Yersinia enterocolitica.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK