Small RNAs, Big Consequences : Post-transcriptional Regulation and Adaptive Immunity in Bacteria

Sammanfattning: It is nowadays widely accepted that non-coding RNAs play important roles in post-transcriptional regulation of genes in all kingdoms of life. In bacteria, the largest group of RNA regulators are the small RNAs (sRNAs). Almost all sRNAs act through anti-sense base-pairing with target mRNAs, and by doing so regulate their translation and/or stability. As important modulators of gene expression, sRNAs are involved in all aspects of bacterial physiology. My studies aimed to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind sRNA-mediated gene regulation. We have shown that translation of the di-guanylate-cyclase YdaM, a major player in the biofilm regulatory cascade, is repressed by the sRNAs OmrA and OmrB. OmrAB require the RNA chaperone protein Hfq for efficient regulation. Interestingly, our results suggest a non-canonical mechanism for Hfq-mediated ydaM-OmrA/B base-pairing. Instead of serving as RNA interaction platform, Hfq restructures the ydaM mRNA to enable sRNA binding. We also addressed the question of how bacteria utilize regulatory RNAs to create phenotypic heterogeneity by studying the role of the tisB/istR-1 type 1 toxin-antitoxin system in SOS-induced persister cell formation in E. coli.In addition, I have investigated the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas immune system, which has led to the development of two molecular tools. The CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune system consists of a CRISPR array, where palindromic repeats are interspaced by unique spacer sequences derived from foreign genetic elements, and the CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins. In the adaptation stage, memory is created by insertion of spacer sequences into the CRISPR array. We developed a fluorescent reporter that accurately and sensitively detects spacer integration events (denoted: “acquisition”) in single cells and in real-time. In the effector stage of immunity, crRNAs, consisting of one spacer-repeat unit, associate with the Cas proteins to form a ribonucleoprotein complex that surveys the cell for invader DNA. Target identification occurs by base-pairing between the crRNA and the complementary sequence in the target nucleic acid, which triggers degradation. We repurposed the E. coli type I-E CRISPR-Cas effector complex Cascade for specific reprogrammable transcriptional gene silencing.The studies presented herein thus contributes to our understanding of RNA-based target identification for gene regulation and adaptive immunity.