The impact of Hfq-mediated sRNA-mRNA interactome on the virulence of enteropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i>.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34705501.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abi8228 and PMC identifier 8550237.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Small RNAs (sRNAs) exert their regulation posttranscriptionally by base pairing with their target mRNAs, often in association with the RNA chaperone protein Hfq. Here, integrating RNA-seq–based technologies and bioinformatics, we deciphered the Hfq-mediated sRNA-target interactome of enteropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (EPEC). The emerging network comprises hundreds of sRNA-mRNA pairs, including mRNAs of virulence-associated genes interacting with known sRNAs encoded within the core genome, as well as with newly found sRNAs encoded within pathogenicity islands. Some of the sRNAs affect multiple virulence genes, suggesting they function as hubs of virulence control. We further analyzed one such sRNA hub, MgrR, and one of its targets identified here, the major virulence-associated chaperon, <i>cesT</i>. We show that MgrR adjusts the level of EPEC cytotoxicity via regulation of CesT expression. Our results reveal an elaborate sRNA-mRNA interactome controlling the pathogenicity of EPEC and reinforce a role for sRNAs in the control of pathogen-host interaction.