Structure-guided mutational analysis of gene regulation by the Bacillus subtilis pbuE adenine-responsive riboswitch in a cellular context [Gene Regulation]
December 30th, 2014 by Marcano–Velazquez, J. G., Batey, R. T.
Riboswitches are a broadly distributed form of RNA-based gene regulation in bacteria, and more rarely, archaea and eukarya. Most often found in the 5'-leader sequence of bacterial mRNAs, they are generally composed of two functional domains: a receptor (aptamer) domain that binds an effector molecule and a regulatory domain (or expression platform) that instructs the expression machinery. One of the most studied riboswitches is the Bacillus subtilis adenine-responsive pbuE riboswitch, which regulates gene expression at the transcriptional level, upregulating expression in response to increased intracellular effector concentrations. In this work, we analyze sequence and structural elements that contribute to efficient ligand-dependent regulatory activity in a co-transcriptional and cellular context. Unexpectedly, it was found that the P1 helix, which acts as the antitermination element of the switch in this RNA, supported ligand-dependent activation of a reporter gene over a broad spectrum of lengths from three to ten base pairs in length. This same trend was also observed using a minimal in vitro single turnover transcription assay revealing that this behavior is intrinsic to the RNA sequence. It was also found that the sequences at the distal tip of the terminator not directly involved in alternative secondary structure formation are highly important for efficient regulation. These data strongly support a model in which the switch is highly localized to the P1 helix adjacent to the ligand binding pocket that likely presents a local kinetic block to invasion of the aptamer by the terminator.