Lee ER, Baker JL, Weinberg Z, Sudarsan N, Breaker RR
 | Related Articles |
An allosteric self-splicing ribozyme triggered by a bacterial second messenger.
Science. 2010 Aug 13;329(5993):845-8
Authors: Lee ER, Baker JL, Weinberg Z, Sudarsan N, Breaker RR
Group I self-splicing ribozymes commonly function as components of selfish mobile genetic elements. We identified an allosteric group I ribozyme, wherein self-splicing is regulated by a distinct riboswitch class that senses the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. The tandem RNA sensory system resides in the 5' untranslated region of the messenger RNA for a putative virulence gene in the pathogenic bacterium Clostridium difficile. c-di-GMP binding by the riboswitch induces folding changes at atypical splice site junctions to modulate alternative RNA processing. Our findings indicate that some self-splicing ribozymes are not selfish elements but are harnessed by cells as metabolite sensors and genetic regulators.
PMID: 20705859 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
