Open AccessBase pairing small RNAs and their roles in global regulatory networks
Author(s) -
Beisel Chase L.,
Storz Gisela
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
fems microbiology reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.91
H-Index - 212
eISSN - 1574-6976
pISSN - 0168-6445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2010.00241.x
Subject(s) - biology , base pair , computational biology , genetics , rna , pairing , gene regulatory network , transcription (linguistics) , regulation of gene expression , transcription factor , gene , gene expression , linguistics , superconductivity , physics , philosophy , quantum mechanics
Bacteria use a range of RNA regulators collectively termed small RNAs (sRNAs) to help respond to changes in the environment. Many sRNAs regulate their target mRNAs through limited base‐pairing interactions. Ongoing characterization of base‐pairing sRNAs in bacteria has started to reveal how these sRNAs participate in global regulatory networks. These networks can be broken down into smaller regulatory circuits that have characteristic behaviors and functions. In this review, we describe the specific regulatory circuits that incorporate base‐pairing sRNAs and the importance of each circuit in global regulation. Because most of these circuits were originally identified as network motifs in transcriptional networks, we also discuss why sRNAs may be used over protein transcription factors to help transduce environmental signals.