Abstract
Expression of many rhizobial small heat-shock genes is controlled by the ROSE element, a thermoresponsive structure in the 5′-untranslated region of the corresponding mRNAs. Using a bioinformatics approach, we found more than 20 new potential ROSE-like RNA thermometers upstream of small heat-shock genes in a wide variety of α- and γ-proteobacteria. Northern blot analyses revealed heat-inducible transcripts of the representative candidate Caulobacter crescentus CC2258, Escherichia coli ibpA and Salmonella typhimurium ibpA genes. Typical σ32-type promoters were mapped upstream of the potential RNA thermometers by primer extension. Additional translational control was demonstrated in a lacZ reporter system and by site-directed mutagenesis. RNA secondary structure predictions strongly suggest that the Shine-Dalgarno sequence in the RNA thermometers is masked at low temperatures. Combining two regulatory modules, a σ32 promoter and a ROSE-type RNA thermometer, provides a novel stringent mechanism to control expression of small heat-shock genes.
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