细菌小RNA抗营养应激调控功能的研究进展

细菌生存的环境复杂多变,经常处于营养元素过剩或缺乏的状态。因此,细菌必须及时准确地调节其基因表达以适应不断变化的营养环境,才能得以生存。小RNA(small RNA,s RNA)是近年来在细菌中发现的一类RNA调控子,在细菌应对营养应激的基因表达调控中发挥重要作用。就细菌s RNA的特点及其抗营养应激的作用进行综述。     

细菌非编码RNA及其分子伴侣Hfq

细菌在生存过程中要面对复杂多样的环境,在长期进化过程中,细菌逐渐形成不同的应答机制来感应环境信号的变化,并通过精确的基因表达来调控生理生化反应。基因表达调控可分为转录水平和转录后水平两个方面,对于细菌来说,非编码RNA在转录后调控上发挥着重要的作用,而大多数非编码RNA与靶标m RNA的相互作用过程又离不开Hfq蛋白的辅助。本文综述了非编码RNA的分类、调控特点,伴侣蛋白Hfq的结构、功能以及两者相互作用的机制,以期深入了解非编码RNA及其伴侣蛋白Hfq在转录后调控中发挥的作用。     

细菌转录起始调控机制*

原核生物同一种群的每个细胞都是和外界环境直接接触的,它们主要通过开启或关闭某些基因的表达来适应环境条件。所以,环境因子往往是调控的效应因子,必须严格调控转录来确保细胞对环境改变做出有效且充分的反应。原核生物基因的表达受多种因素的调控,而对于大多数细菌来说,调控基因表达的关键步骤是启动子识别和RNA聚合酶启动转录。在细菌的细胞中,可以通过调节RNA聚合酶的活性以及改变RNA聚合酶对启动子的结合来优化基因的转录过程以适应不同环境变化。总结了目前已发现的参与细菌细胞转录调节的各类因子,从这些因子对启动子的作用、RNA聚合酶的作用以及两者的相互作用等方面阐述它们调控基因表达的分子机制。总结多种基因调控的作用,加深对转录起始过程的认识,希望能对未来调控转录起始过程来实现目标基因的高效表达和不利基因的抑制表达提供思路,为以后的工业菌株改造提供依据。     

金黄色葡萄球菌非编码小RNA的研究进展

金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus,S.aureus)是困扰全球公共卫生及人类健康的重要病原菌,其引起的各种临床感染与该菌表达的多种毒力因子密切相关,而这些毒力因子表达受到调节性因子的精确调控,在细菌致病机制中发挥着核心作用。非编码小RNA(Small non-coding RNA,s RNA)是基因表达的一类重要调节因子,可使细菌对环境因素做出反应,调节其应激适应性及毒力因子表达。但到目前为止,仅少数金黄色葡萄球菌s RNA的生物学功能得到阐述。本文将针对这些调节性s RNA的研究进展作一综述。     

细菌双组分信号转导系统

细菌能感应外界环境各种不同信号,调控菌体内相关基因表达,以适应不断变化的环境。其中双组分信号转导系统广泛存在于各种原核生物中,其基本结构为一个组氨酸蛋白激酶和一个反应调节蛋白。由于双组分系统在结构和作用机制上与人类细胞的信号转导系统有本质的不同,因而在抗微生物感染方面有着诱人的应用前景。     

群体感应信号分子AI-2研究进展

群体感应(QS)是细菌根据种群密度的变化调控基因表达,协调群体行为的机制。除具有种特异性的信号分子AI-1外,近年来发现一类新的信号分子AI-2在调控细菌基因表达中起重要作用。AI-2的结构和生物合成途径已被确定,其产生依赖于一种称为LuxS的蛋白。目前认为AI-2在细菌种间交流中起通用信号分子(universalsignal)的作用。了解细菌的QS调控过程以及种间细胞交流的新机制,有助于对细菌病害进行防治。     

细菌群体感应系统的研究

群体感应是细菌根据细胞密度变化进行基因表达调控的一种生理行为.细菌通过群体感应与周围环境进行信息交流,参与多种生理过程.就细菌群体感应系统的组成、作用机制、类型、特点及细菌中群体感应的最新进展作以综述.     

群体感应与病原菌致病性研究进展

群体感应是细菌根据细胞密度变化进行基因表达调控的一种生理行为。当细菌密度达到临界阈值时能释放一些特定的自诱导信号分子,从而调节本种群或同环境中其他种群的群体行为。细菌群体感应参与包括人类、动植物、病原菌在内的多种生物的生物学功能调节,如生物膜的形成、毒力因子的产生、病原菌的耐药性等。深入研究病原菌群体感应系统的调控机制,将提高对病原菌发病机制的认识,有利于以群体感应作为防治疾病策略的研究。系统阐述了群体感应系统的组成类型、群体感应与病原菌致病性的关系,及其在抑制病原菌致病方面的应用。     

非编码RNA与细菌耐药

细菌非编码RNA是一类新发现的基因表达调控因子,通过与靶mRNA配对,导致mRNA翻译和稳定性的变化,从而影响细胞的各种生理功能,如个体发育、翻译激活与抑制、细菌毒性等,而且一个单独的非编码RNA就能调控大量基因并对细胞生理产生深远影响。近年来诸多研究证实,非编码RNA与细菌耐药性也存在一定的关系。我们对此进行简要综述,为细菌耐药性的研究奠定基础。     

7SRNA在癌细胞中含量改变及其对染色质转录活性的调节

7s RNA与哺乳动物基因组中有300,000重复拷贝的Alu DNA顺序高度互补。Alu DNA的功能是与结构基因的转座和表达调控密切有关。因此7s RNA对基因表达可能有调节作用。本文提供实验:1.肝癌细胞核内7s RNA含量比正常核少,意味着减弱了对癌细胞基因表达的控制。2.7s RNA比其他的核小分子量RNA更紧密与染色质结合。3.7sRNA对离体染色质的转录活性有促进和抑制的两相作用,这些结果直接和间接表明7s RNA对基因表达起一定的调节作用。由于Alu DNA在基因组中分布是广泛性的,因此认为7s RNA的调控作用也应是一般控制性质的。     

细菌非编码小RNA研究进展

细菌非编码小RNA(small non-coding RNA, sRNA)是一类长度在50~500个核苷酸, 不编码蛋白质的RNA。迄今, 在各种细菌中共发现超过150多种sRNA。它们通过碱基配对识别靶标mRNA, 在转录后水平调节基因的表达, 是细菌代谢、毒力和适应环境压力的重要调节因子。细菌sRNA的研究技术主要有基于生物信息学的计算机预测法和基于实验室的检测分析方法。这些方法所得到的sRNA都需要进行实验室确认, 然后再进一步通过各种实验手段研究其功能。     

RNA‐based fluorescent biosensors for live cell detection of bacterial sRNA

Bacteria contain a diverse set of RNAs to provide tight regulation of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) work in conjunction with protein cofactors to bind complementary mRNA sequences in the cell, leading to up‐ or downregulation of protein synthesis. In vivo imaging of sRNAs can aid in understanding their spatiotemporal dynamics in real time, which inspires new ways to manipulate these systems for a variety of applications including synthetic biology and therapeutics. Current methods for sRNA imaging are quite limited in vivo and do not provide real‐time information about fluctuations in sRNA levels. Herein, we describe our efforts toward the development of an RNA‐based fluorescent biosensor for bacterial sRNA both in vitro and in vivo. We validated these sensors for three different bacterial sRNAs in Escherichia coli and demonstrated that the designs provide a bright, sequence‐specific signal output in response to exogenous and endogenous RNA targets.     

Characterization of the small RNA transcriptome in plant–microbe (Brassica/Erwinia) interactions by high-throughput sequencing

Non-coding, small RNAs (sRNAs) have been identified in a wide spectrum of organisms ranging from bacteria to humans; however, the role and mechanisms of these sRNA in plant immunity is largely unknown. To determine possible roles of sRNA in plant–pathogen interaction, we carried out a high-throughput sRNA sequencing of Brassica campestris using non-infected plants and plants infected with Erwinia carotovora. Consistent with our hypothesis that distinct classes of host sRNAs alerts their expression levels in response to infection, we found that: (1) host 28-nt sRNAs were strongly increased under pathogen infection; and (2) a group of host sRNAs homologous to the pathogen genome also accumulated at significantly higher level. Our data thus suggest several distinct classes of the host sRNAs may enhance their function by up-regulation of their expression/stability in response to bacterial pathogen challenges.     

Cycling of the Sm-like protein Hfq on the DsrA small regulatory RNA

Small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate bacterial genes involved in environmental adaptation. This RNA regulation requires Hfq, a bacterial Sm-like protein that stabilizes sRNAs and enhances RNA-RNA interactions. To understand the mechanism of target recognition by sRNAs, we investigated the interactions between Hfq, the sRNA DsrA, and its regulatory target rpoS mRNA, which encodes the stress response sigma factor. Nuclease footprinting revealed that Hfq recognized multiple sites in rpoS mRNA without significantly perturbing secondary structure in the 5' leader that inhibits translation initiation. Base-pairing with DsrA, however, made the rpoS ribosome binding site fully accessible, as predicted by genetic data. Hfq bound DsrA four times more tightly than the DsrA.rpoS RNA complex in gel mobility-shift assays. Consequently, Hfq is displaced rapidly from its high-affinity binding site on DsrA by conformational changes in DsrA, when DsrA base-pairs with rpoS mRNA. Hfq accelerated DsrA.rpoS RNA association and stabilized the RNA complex up to twofold. Hybridization of DsrA and rpoS mRNA was optimal when Hfq occupied its primary binding site on free DsrA, but was inhibited when Hfq associated with the DsrA.rpoS RNA complex. We conclude that recognition of rpoS mRNA is stimulated by binding of Hfq to free DsrA sRNA, followed by release of Hfq from the sRNA.mRNA complex.     

Quantitative effect of target translation on small RNA efficacy reveals a novel mode of interaction

Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) in bacteria regulate many important cellular activities under normal conditions and in response to stress. Many sRNAs bind to the mRNA targets at or near the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) resulting in translation inhibition and accelerated degradation. Often the sRNA-binding site is adjacent to or overlapping with the ribosomal binding site (RBS), suggesting a possible interplay between sRNA and ribosome binding. Here we combine quantitative experiments with mathematical modeling to reveal novel features of the interaction between small RNAs and the translation machinery at the 5′UTR of a target mRNA. By measuring the response of a library of reporter targets with varied RBSs, we find that increasing translation rate can lead to increased repression. Quantitative analysis of these data suggests a recruitment model, where bound ribosomes facilitate binding of the sRNA. We experimentally verified predictions of this model for the cell-to-cell variability of target expression. Our findings offer a framework for understanding sRNA silencing in the context of bacterial physiology.     

Translational control and target recognition by Escherichia coli small RNAs in vivo

Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are an emerging class of regulators of bacterial gene expression. Most of the regulatory Escherichia coli sRNAs known to date modulate translation of trans-encoded target mRNAs. We studied the specificity of sRNA target interactions using gene fusions to green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a novel reporter of translational control by bacterial sRNAs in vivo. Target sequences were selected from both monocistronic and polycistronic mRNAs. Upon expression of the cognate sRNA (DsrA, GcvB, MicA, MicC, MicF, RprA, RyhB, SgrS and Spot42), we observed highly specific translation repression/activation of target fusions under various growth conditions. Target regulation was also tested in mutants that lacked Hfq or RNase III, or which expressed a truncated RNase E (rne701). We found that translational regulation by these sRNAs was largely independent of full-length RNase E, e.g. despite the fact that ompA fusion mRNA decay could no longer be promoted by MicA. This is the first study in which multiple well-defined E.coli sRNA target pairs have been studied in a uniform manner in vivo. We expect our GFP fusion approach to be applicable to sRNA targets of other bacteria, and also demonstrate that Vibrio RyhB sRNA represses a Vibrio sodB fusion when co-expressed in E.coli.     

细菌菌膜的成分、调控及其与植物的关系

菌膜是细菌群落发展的一种高度组织化的群体状态。在菌膜形成过程中,细菌胞外物质EPS(Exopolysaccharides)、eDNA(Extracellular DNA)、胞外蛋白等都参与菌膜的形成,它们为菌膜提供机械稳定性,帮助细菌粘附到物体表面,促进菌膜中不同细菌间物质的循环及基因的水平转移。菌膜形成涉及到群体感应、C-di-GMP(Cyclic diguanylate monophosphate)和sRNA等一系列调控机制。土壤环境中栖息着大量的微生物,许多土壤微生物定殖于植物根际,从而与植物发生着密切的相互作用;菌膜的形成是细菌稳定定殖于植物根际的关键因素,有助于植物促生菌或致病菌在根际更好的生存。本文就菌膜的成分、调控及其与植物的关系等三个方面的内容进行综述。