The RNA Chaperone Hfq and Small Non-Coding RNAs Modulate the Biofilm Formation of the Fish Pathogen <i>Yersinia ruckeri</i>.

ABSTRACT: The fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri forms biofilms on abiotic surfaces, contributing to recurrent infections in aquaculture. Increasing evidence suggests that the RNA chaperone Hfq and small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are key regulators of bacterial biofilm formation. However, the regulatory mechanisms mediated by these factors remain largely unexplored in Y. ruckeri. In this study, we investigated the roles of Hfq and the Hfq-dependent sRNAs RprA, ArcZ, and RybB in the biofilm formation of Y. ruckeri. We first characterized the sRNAome of biofilm-forming cells, identifying the conserved RprA, ArcZ, and RybB, among the upregulated sRNAs. We then evaluated motility, biofilm formation, and architecture in strains lacking either hfq (Δhfq) or these sRNAs (ΔsRNA)

SUBMITTER: Barros MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12112432 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature