Riboswitch

In molecular biology, a riboswitch is a regulatory segment of a messenger RNA molecule that binds a small molecule, resulting in a change in production of the proteins encoded by the mRNA.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] Thus, an mRNA that contains a riboswitch is directly involved in regulating its own activity, in response to the concentrations of its effector molecule. The discovery that modern organisms use RNA to bind small molecules, and discriminate against closely related analogs, expanded the known natural capabilities of RNA beyond its ability to code for proteins, catalyze reactions, or to bind other RNA or protein macromolecules.

The original definition of the term "riboswitch" specified that they directly sense small-molecule metabolite concentrations.^[5] Although this definition remains in common use, some biologists have used a broader definition that includes other cis-regulatory RNAs. However, this article will discuss only metabolite-binding riboswitches.

Most known riboswitches occur in bacteria, but functional riboswitches of one type (the TPP riboswitch) have been discovered in archaea, plants and certain fungi. TPP riboswitches have also been predicted in archaea,^[6] but have not been experimentally tested.

^ Nudler E, Mironov AS (January 2004). "The riboswitch control of bacterial metabolism". Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 29 (1): 11–17. doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2003.11.004. PMID 14729327.
^ Tucker BJ, Breaker RR (June 2005). "Riboswitches as versatile gene control elements". Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 15 (3): 342–348. doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2005.05.003. PMID 15919195.
^ Vitreschak AG, Rodionov DA, Mironov AA, Gelfand MS (January 2004). "Riboswitches: the oldest mechanism for the regulation of gene expression?". Trends in Genetics. 20 (1): 44–50. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.312.9100. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2003.11.008. PMID 14698618.
^ Batey RT (June 2006). "Structures of regulatory elements in mRNAs". Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 16 (3): 299–306. doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2006.05.001. PMID 16707260.
^ Cite error: The named reference pmid12323379 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Sudarsan N, Barrick JE, Breaker RR (June 2003). "Metabolite-binding RNA domains are present in the genes of eukaryotes". RNA. 9 (6): 644–647. doi:10.1261/rna.5090103. PMC 1370431. PMID 12756322.

[pmid14729327-1] Nudler E, Mironov AS (January 2004). "The riboswitch control of bacterial metabolism". Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 29 (1): 11–17. doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2003.11.004. PMID 14729327.

[pmid15919195-2] Tucker BJ, Breaker RR (June 2005). "Riboswitches as versatile gene control elements". Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 15 (3): 342–348. doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2005.05.003. PMID 15919195.

[pmid14698618-3] Vitreschak AG, Rodionov DA, Mironov AA, Gelfand MS (January 2004). "Riboswitches: the oldest mechanism for the regulation of gene expression?". Trends in Genetics. 20 (1): 44–50. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.312.9100. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2003.11.008. PMID 14698618.

[pmid16707260-4] Batey RT (June 2006). "Structures of regulatory elements in mRNAs". Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 16 (3): 299–306. doi:10.1016/j.sbi.2006.05.001. PMID 16707260.

[pmid12323379-5] Cite error: The named reference pmid12323379 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[pmid12756322-6] Sudarsan N, Barrick JE, Breaker RR (June 2003). "Metabolite-binding RNA domains are present in the genes of eukaryotes". RNA. 9 (6): 644–647. doi:10.1261/rna.5090103. PMC 1370431. PMID 12756322.

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