The conserved regulatory RNA RsaE down-regulates the arginine degradation pathway in Staphylococcus aureus

• Published in: Nucleic acids research Vol. 46; no. 17; pp. 8803 - 8816
• Main Authors: Rochat, Tatiana, Bohn, Chantal, Morvan, Claire, Le Lam, Thao Nguyen, Razvi, Fareha, Pain, Adrien, Toffano-Nioche, Claire, Ponien, Prishila, Jacq, Annick, Jacquet, Eric, Fey, Paul D, Gautheret, Daniel, Bouloc, Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 28-09-2018
• Subjects: Amino Acids - metabolism; Amino Acids - pharmacology; Arginine - metabolism; Conserved Sequence; Culture Media - chemistry; Culture Media - pharmacology; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Down-Regulation - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - genetics; Gene regulation, Chromatin and Epigenetics; Life Sciences; Metabolic Networks and Pathways - drug effects; Metabolic Networks and Pathways - genetics; Organisms, Genetically Modified; Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid - genetics; RNA, Bacterial - physiology; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development; Staphylococcus aureus - metabolism; identification; virulence; accessibility; discovery; reveals; DBG; prediction; SRRB; SSFA
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky584

Abstract
RsaE is a regulatory RNA highly conserved amongst Firmicutes that lowers the amount of mRNAs associated with the TCA cycle and folate metabolism. A search for new RsaE targets in Staphylococcus aureus revealed that in addition to previously described substrates, RsaE down-regulates several genes associated with arginine catabolism. In particular, RsaE targets the arginase rocF mRNA via direct interactions involving G-rich motifs. Two duplicated C-rich motifs of RsaE can independently downregulate rocF expression. The faster growth rate of ΔrsaE compared to its parental strain in media containing amino acids as sole carbon source points to an underlying role for RsaE in amino acid catabolism. Collectively, the data support a model in which RsaE acts as a global regulator of functions associated with metabolic adaptation.