Listeria Hfq binding LhrA
Encyclopedia
Listeria Hfq binding LhrA is a ncRNA that was identified by screening for RNA molecules which co-immunoprecipitated
with the RNA chaperone Hfq
. This RNA is transcribed from a region overlapping with a predicted protein
of unknown function (Lmo2257) and is located between a putative intracellular protease
and a putative protein of the ribulose-phosphate 3 epimerase
family. It is highly expressed in the stationary growth phase
but the function is unknown. It is proposed to be a regulatory RNA which controls gene expression
at the post transcriptional
level by binding the target mRNA in an Hfq dependent fashion. This RNA molecule appears to be conserved amongst Listeria species but has not been identified in other bacteria
l species.
Immunoprecipitation
Immunoprecipitation is the technique of precipitating a protein antigen out of solution using an antibody that specifically binds to that particular protein. This process can be used to isolate and concentrate a particular protein from a sample containing many thousands of different proteins...
with the RNA chaperone Hfq
Hfq protein
The Hfq protein encoded by the hfq gene was discovered in 1968 as an Escherichia. coli host factor that was essential for replication of the bacteriophage Qβ. It is now clear that Hfq is an abundant bacterial RNA binding protein which has many important physiological roles. Usually mediated by...
. This RNA is transcribed from a region overlapping with a predicted protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
of unknown function (Lmo2257) and is located between a putative intracellular protease
Protease
A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....
and a putative protein of the ribulose-phosphate 3 epimerase
Epimerase and racemase
Epimerases and racemases are isomerase enzymes that catalyze the inversion of stereochemistry in biological molecules.Racemases catalyze the stereochemical inversion around the asymmetric carbon atom in a substrate having only one center of asymmetry...
family. It is highly expressed in the stationary growth phase
Bacterial growth
250px|right|thumb|Growth is shown as L = log where numbers is the number of colony forming units per ml, versus T Bacterial growth is the division of one bacterium into two daughter cells in a process called binary fission. Providing no mutational event occurs the resulting daughter cells are...
but the function is unknown. It is proposed to be a regulatory RNA which controls gene expression
Gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding genes such as ribosomal RNA , transfer RNA or small nuclear RNA genes, the product is a functional RNA...
at the post transcriptional
Transcription (genetics)
Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence of DNA. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes...
level by binding the target mRNA in an Hfq dependent fashion. This RNA molecule appears to be conserved amongst Listeria species but has not been identified in other bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l species.