SAH riboswitch

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SAH riboswitches are a kind of riboswitch that bind S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) [1]. When the coenzyme S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is used in a methylation reaction, SAH is produced. SAH riboswitches typically up-regulate genes involved in recycling SAH to create more SAM (or the metabolically related methionine). This is particularly relevant to cells, because high levels of SAH can be toxic[2]. Originally identified by bioinformatics[3], SAH riboswitches are apparent in many species of bacteria, predominantly certain Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wang JX, Lee ER, Morales DR, Lim J, Breaker RR (2008). "Riboswitches that Sense S-adenosylhomocysteine and Activate Genes Involved in Coenzyme Recycling". Mol. Cell 29 (6): 691–702. doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2008.01.012. PMID 18374645. 
  2. ^ Ueland PM (1982). "Pharmacological and biochemical aspects of S-adenosylhomocysteine and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase". Pharmacol. Rev. 34 (3): 223–53. PMID 6760211. 
  3. ^ Weinberg Z, Barrick JE, Yao Z, et al (2007). "Identification of 22 candidate structured RNAs in bacteria using the CMfinder comparative genomics pipeline". Nucleic Acids Res. 35 (14): 4809–19. doi:10.1093/nar/gkm487. PMID 17621584. 
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