Loop structures in the 5' untranslated region and antisense RNA mediate pilE gene expression in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

ABSTRACT: Regulation of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilE gene is ill-defined. In this study, post-transcriptional effects on expression were assessed. In silico analysis predicts the formation of three putative stable stem-loop structures with favourable free energies within the 5' untranslated region of the pilE message. Using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR analyses, we show that each loop structure forms, with introduced destabilizing stem-loop mutations diminishing loop stability. Utilizing a series of pilE translational fusions, deletion of either loop 1 or loop 2 caused a significant reduction of pilE mRNA resulting in reduced expression of the reporter gene. Consequently, the formation of the loops apparently protects the pilE transcript from degradation. Putative loop 3 contains the pil

SUBMITTER: Masters TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5903267 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature