SymR RNA

SymR
Conserved secondary structure of SymR RNA.
Identifiers
Symbol SymR
Rfam RF01809
Other data
RNA type Antisense RNA
Domain(s) E. coli

SymR RNA is a non-coding RNA which forms a type I toxin-antitoxin system along with the protein SymE.[1] SymR was originally labelled RyjC and is a 77nt RNA with a σ70 promoter. RyjC was found to overlap the yjiW open reading frame on the opposite strand by 6nt, and was characterised as an antisense RNA which bound the 5' untranslated region of yjiW.[2] Further study led to the renaming of both yjiW and RyjC to SymE (SOS-induced yjiW gene with similarity to MazE) and SymR (symbiotic RNA) respectively.[1]

SymR blocks translation of SymE by antisense binding. SymE exhibits its toxicity by repressing global translation within the cell, cleaving mRNA in a similar manner to MazE toxin.[3] Quantative Northern blot experiments showed that SymR RNA is present in cells at 10 times the concentration of SymE mRNA (0.02 fmol μg−1 and 0.2 fmol μg−1).[1]

Following DNA damage, the SOS response represses transcription of SymR RNA, allowing SymE toxin to degrade potentially damaged mRNA until the DNA has been repaired.[1]

See also

References

Further reading

External links