Flipping the script: Understanding riboswitches from an alternative perspective.

ABSTRACT: Riboswitches are broadly distributed regulatory elements most frequently found in the 5'-leader sequence of bacterial mRNAs that regulate gene expression in response to the binding of a small molecule effector. The occupancy status of the ligand-binding aptamer domain manipulates downstream information in the message that instructs the expression machinery. Currently, there are over 55 validated riboswitch classes, where each class is defined based on the identity of the ligand it binds and/or sequence and structure conservation patterns within the aptamer domain. This classification reflects an "aptamer-centric" perspective that dominates our understanding of riboswitches. In this review, we propose a conceptual framework that groups riboswitches based on the mechanism by which RNA manipu

SUBMITTER: Olenginski LT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10907184 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature