Small RNAs beyond Model Organisms: Have We Only Scratched the Surface?

ABSTRACT: Small RNAs (sRNAs) are essential regulators in the adaptation of bacteria to environmental changes and act by binding targeted mRNAs through base complementarity. Approximately 550 distinct families of sRNAs have been identified since their initial characterization in the 1980s, accelerated by the emergence of RNA-sequencing. Small RNAs are found in a wide range of bacterial phyla, but they are more prominent in highly researched model organisms compared to the rest of the sequenced bacteria. Indeed, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica contain the highest number of sRNAs, with 98 and 118, respectively, with Enterobacteriaceae encoding 145 distinct sRNAs, while other bacteria families have only seven sRNAs on average. Although the past years brought major advances

SUBMITTER: Boutet E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9029176 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature