crossmark EDITORIAL
Classic Spotlight: Regulatory Function of Leader RNAs Tina M. Henkin Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
E
March 2016 Volume 198 Number 5
have emerged as an important regulatory mechanism in bacterial systems. Publications in JB provided the foundation for this field. REFERENCES 1. Miozzarri GF, Yanofsky C. 1978. Translation of the leader region of the Escherichia coli tryptophan operon. J Bacteriol 133:1457–1466. 2. Chang GW, Roth JR, Ames BN. 1971. Histidine regulation in Salmonella typhimurium. VIII. Mutations of the hisT gene J Bacteriol 108:410 – 414. 3. Shimotsu H, Kuroda MI, Yanofsky C, Henner DJ. 1986. Novel form of transcription attenuation regulates expression of the Bacillus subtilis tryptophan operon. J Bacteriol 166:461– 471. 4. Henkin TM, Glass BL, Grundy FJ. 1992. Analysis of the Bacillus subtilis tyrS gene: conservation of a regulatory sequence in multiple tRNA synthetase genes. J Bacteriol 174:1299 –1306.
Citation Henkin TM. 2016. Classic spotlight: regulatory function of leader RNAs. J Bacteriol 198:743. doi:10.1128/JB.00947-15. Address correspondence to [email protected]. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. The views expressed in this Editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM.
Journal of Bacteriology
jb.asm.org
743
Downloaded from http://jb.asm.org/ on February 26, 2016 by guest
arly studies of gene regulation in bacteria focused on regulation at the level of transcription initiation through binding of repressor and activator proteins to operator sites. Analysis of tryptophan biosynthesis in Escherichia coli by Miozzarri and Yanofsky and of the histidine biosynthesis genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium by Chang and coworkers revealed the role of leader RNA sequences, located between the promoter and coding sequence, in post-transcription initiation regulation. Key studies published in the Journal of Bacteriology (JB) led to recognition of the roles of leader RNA translation (1) and tRNA function (2). These studies eventually led to the model that the efficiency of translation of the leader region of these operons, modulated by the aminoacylation status of the cognate tRNA, affects premature termination of transcription by RNA polymerase, a process termed transcription attenuation. Recognition of the role of leader RNA sequences provided the underpinnings to the discovery of other regulatory mechanisms, including systems in which proteins (3) or tRNAs (4) bind to leader RNA elements to affect transcription attenuation. These systems in turn led to the discovery of metabolite-binding riboswitches, which directly recognize specific small molecules and
Classic Spotlight: Regulatory Function of Leader RNAs Tina M. Henkin Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
E
March 2016 Volume 198 Number 5
have emerged as an important regulatory mechanism in bacterial systems. Publications in JB provided the foundation for this field. REFERENCES 1. Miozzarri GF, Yanofsky C. 1978. Translation of the leader region of the Escherichia coli tryptophan operon. J Bacteriol 133:1457–1466. 2. Chang GW, Roth JR, Ames BN. 1971. Histidine regulation in Salmonella typhimurium. VIII. Mutations of the hisT gene J Bacteriol 108:410 – 414. 3. Shimotsu H, Kuroda MI, Yanofsky C, Henner DJ. 1986. Novel form of transcription attenuation regulates expression of the Bacillus subtilis tryptophan operon. J Bacteriol 166:461– 471. 4. Henkin TM, Glass BL, Grundy FJ. 1992. Analysis of the Bacillus subtilis tyrS gene: conservation of a regulatory sequence in multiple tRNA synthetase genes. J Bacteriol 174:1299 –1306.
Citation Henkin TM. 2016. Classic spotlight: regulatory function of leader RNAs. J Bacteriol 198:743. doi:10.1128/JB.00947-15. Address correspondence to [email protected]. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. The views expressed in this Editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM.
Journal of Bacteriology
jb.asm.org
743
Downloaded from http://jb.asm.org/ on February 26, 2016 by guest
arly studies of gene regulation in bacteria focused on regulation at the level of transcription initiation through binding of repressor and activator proteins to operator sites. Analysis of tryptophan biosynthesis in Escherichia coli by Miozzarri and Yanofsky and of the histidine biosynthesis genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium by Chang and coworkers revealed the role of leader RNA sequences, located between the promoter and coding sequence, in post-transcription initiation regulation. Key studies published in the Journal of Bacteriology (JB) led to recognition of the roles of leader RNA translation (1) and tRNA function (2). These studies eventually led to the model that the efficiency of translation of the leader region of these operons, modulated by the aminoacylation status of the cognate tRNA, affects premature termination of transcription by RNA polymerase, a process termed transcription attenuation. Recognition of the role of leader RNA sequences provided the underpinnings to the discovery of other regulatory mechanisms, including systems in which proteins (3) or tRNAs (4) bind to leader RNA elements to affect transcription attenuation. These systems in turn led to the discovery of metabolite-binding riboswitches, which directly recognize specific small molecules and
