An Allosteric Self-Splicing Ribozyme Triggered by a Bacterial Second Messenger

作者：Lee Elaine R; Baker Jenny L; Weinberg Zasha; Sudarsan Narasimhan; Breaker Ronald R^*

来源：Science, 2010, 329(5993): 845-848.

DOI：10.1126/science.1190713

Group I self-splicing ribozymes commonly function as components of selfish mobile genetic elements. We identified an allosteric group I ribozyme, wherein self-splicing is regulated by a distinct riboswitch class that senses the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. The tandem RNA sensory system resides in the 5' untranslated region of the messenger RNA for a putative virulence gene in the pathogenic bacterium Clostridium difficile. c-di-GMP binding by the riboswitch induces folding changes at atypical splice site junctions to modulate alternative RNA processing. Our findings indicate that some self-splicing ribozymes are not selfish elements but are harnessed by cells as metabolite sensors and genetic regulators.

• 出版日期2010-8-13