The ubiquitous yybP-ykoY riboswitch is a manganese-responsive regulatory element.

ABSTRACT: The highly structured, cis-encoded RNA elements known as riboswitches modify gene expression upon binding a wide range of molecules. The yybP-ykoY motif was one of the most broadly distributed and numerous bacterial riboswitches for which the cognate ligand was unknown. Using a combination of in vivo reporter and in vitro expression assays, equilibrium dialysis, and northern analysis, we show that the yybP-ykoY motif responds directly to manganese ions in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The identification of the yybP-ykoY motif as a manganese ion sensor suggests that the genes that are preceded by this motif and encode a diverse set of poorly characterized membrane proteins have roles in metal homeostasis.

SUBMITTER: Dambach M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4376352 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature