Abstract
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.
Publication types
-
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
5' Untranslated Regions
-
Aptamers, Nucleotide / chemistry
-
Base Pairing
-
Base Sequence
-
Clostridioides difficile / genetics*
-
Clostridioides difficile / metabolism
-
Clostridioides difficile / pathogenicity
-
Codon, Initiator
-
Cyclic GMP / analogs & derivatives*
-
Cyclic GMP / metabolism
-
Exons
-
Genes, Bacterial
-
Guanosine Triphosphate / metabolism
-
Molecular Sequence Data
-
Nucleic Acid Conformation
-
RNA Splicing*
-
RNA, Bacterial / chemistry
-
RNA, Bacterial / genetics*
-
RNA, Bacterial / metabolism
-
RNA, Catalytic / chemistry
-
RNA, Catalytic / genetics
-
RNA, Catalytic / metabolism*
-
RNA, Messenger / chemistry
-
RNA, Messenger / genetics
-
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
-
Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid*
-
Second Messenger Systems*
Substances
-
5' Untranslated Regions
-
Aptamers, Nucleotide
-
Codon, Initiator
-
GIR1 ribozyme
-
RNA, Bacterial
-
RNA, Catalytic
-
RNA, Messenger
-
Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid
-
bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid
-
Guanosine Triphosphate
-
Cyclic GMP