PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

RNA holds the reins in bacteria: U-M researchers observe RNA controlling protein synthesis

RNA holds the reins in bacteria: U-M researchers observe RNA controlling protein synthesis
2021-04-14
(Press-News.org) To better understand how RNA in bacteria gives rise to protein--and along the way, target these processes in the design of new antibiotics--researchers are turning their attention to the unique way this process happens in bacteria.

In eukaryotic cells, transcription (the process by which information in a DNA strand is copied into messenger RNA) and translation (the process by which a protein is synthesized by the ribosome from the mRNA) are two successive steps. In bacteria, they occur simultaneously: As the RNA is being synthesized by RNA polymerase, the ribosome comes in to make the proteins.

This synchronicity allows for so-called "transcription-translation coupling," wherein the first ribosome can immediately follow and couple with the transcribing RNA polymerase. It is a new area of research that promises to bring insights into processes unique to bacteria that could be targeted with great specificity in the design of antibiotics.

Now, University of Michigan researchers have directly observed previously hidden RNA regulatory mechanisms within such couplings. The results, spearheaded jointly by postdoctoral fellows Surajit Chatterjee and Adrien Chauvier of the U-M Department of Chemistry and the U-M Center for RNA Biomedicine, are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new results promise to have important implications for the future design of antibiotics that could target the coupling mechanism instead of targeting the transcription or translation processes separately.

"With RNA emerging as a major factor in our daily lives--note the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome and the mRNA vaccines to combat its replication--we are at a crossroads where the interplay between RNAs and proteins in their ubiquitous complexes becomes an attractive prospective target for the medicines of the future, including to fight drug-resistant bacterial strains," said senior author Nils Walter, professor of chemistry.

In particular, the researchers found that modulating the translation of a nascent mRNA affects the downstream synthesis of the mRNA itself. When translation is stopped or delayed, the transcription rate is slowed down to avoid overproduction of RNA that would only be degraded in the cell.

To conveniently modulate translation efficiency, the researchers exploited the features of a structured RNA, called a translational riboswitch, embedded near the start of an mRNA of the anthrax bacterium Bacillus anthracis. This RNA changes structure when binding a specific small ligand to reduce translation in response to environmental cues.

The current study shows that the riboswitch--generally thought to only affect translation--can in fact regulate both translation and transcription by exploiting their coupling. By using the riboswitch ligand to slow translation initiation, or inhibitors to delay or stop translation, the scientists observed effects also on the speed of RNA polymerase.

The authors expanded a combination of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy techniques to monitor the dynamic interactions of the transcription and translation machineries during different stages of coupling. They also developed a unique strategy to directly watch transcription-translation coupling in real-time, detecting that the small riboswitch controls the much larger transcription and translation machineries. The work thus surpasses and brings to life previous structure-based studies that provided only snapshots of the already coupled machineries.

The researchers say their results establish important foundations for future RNA research. They explain that the question of how other cellular factors contribute to establishing and maintaining transcription-translation coupling is still enigmatic, raising questions that remain to be investigated. This work could also bring insights into similar biological processes in other pathogenic organisms.

"It is fascinating to see how the huge transcription and translation machineries are held by a tiny mRNA for a controlled gene expression process in bacteria," said Chatterjee.

Chatterjee and Chauvier are senior postdoctoral fellows in the Walter lab within the U-M Department of Chemistry. They are interested in translational and transcriptional riboswitches, respectively. In this study, they combined their knowledge and interest for each aspect of the coupling.

"To me, it's not so much about bacteria, but rather about the biological processes of translation and transcription," Chauvier said. "Genetic regulation is a timely coordinated process and synchronization is the key for the bacteria to adapt to external threats."

Chatterjee, Chauvier and Walter were joined in the effort by graduate student Shiba Dandpat and collaborator Professor Irina Artsimovitch of Ohio State University.

INFORMATION:

Publication: A translational riboswitch coordinates nascent transcription-translation coupling, Surajit Chatterjee, Adrien Chauvier, Shiba S. Dandpat, Irina Artsimovitch, and Nils G. Walter, PNAS April 20, 2021 118 (16) e2023426118; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023426118


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
RNA holds the reins in bacteria: U-M researchers observe RNA controlling protein synthesis

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New evidence regarding emerald production in Roman Egypt coming from Wadi Sikait

New evidence regarding emerald production in Roman Egypt coming from Wadi Sikait
2021-04-14
"New evidence of the importance of the Roman/Byzantine Mons Smaragdus settlement within the emerald mining network" A new paper published in the END ...

How to gain a sense of well-being, free and online

2021-04-14
In 2018, when Professor Laurie Santos introduced her course "Psychology and the Good Life," a class on the science of happiness, it became the most popular in the history of Yale, attracting more than 1,200 undergraduate enrollees that first semester. An online course based on those teachings became a global phenomenon. By latest count, 3.38 million people have enrolled to take the free Coursera.org course, called "The Science of Well Being." But the popularity of the course posed an interesting question. Does taking the course and participating in homework assignments -- which include nurturing social connections, compiling a gratitude list, and meditation -- really help improve a sense of well-being? The answer is yes, according to two new studies that measured the psychological impact ...

New method measures super-fast, free electron laser pulses

New method measures super-fast, free electron laser pulses
2021-04-14
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., April 14, 2021--New research shows how to measure the super-short bursts of high-frequency light emitted from free electron lasers (FELs). By using the light-induced ionization itself to create a femtosecond optical shutter, the technique encodes the electric field of the FEL pulse in a visible light pulse so that it can be measured with a standard, slow, visible-light camera. "This work has the potential to lead to a new online diagnostic for FELs, where the exact pulse shape of each light pulse can be determined. That information can help both the end-user and the accelerator scientists," said Pamela Bowlan, Los Alamos National Laboratory's lead researcher on the project. The paper was published April 12, ...

New research provides insight into COVID-19 vaccine reluctancy among social media users

2021-04-14
New research has found that the most reliable indicators of willingness to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are rejection of conspiracy suspicions about COVID-19 and a positive attitude towards vaccines in general. The study by King's College London and the University of Bristol is published in the leading peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine. The researchers' analysis was based on a large representative sample survey carried out in November-December 2020. They looked at a range of factors that previous ...

Using sound waves to make patterns that never repeat

Using sound waves to make patterns that never repeat
2021-04-14
Mathematicians and engineers at the University of Utah have teamed up to show how ultrasound waves can organize carbon particles in water into a sort of pattern that never repeats. The results, they say, could result in materials called "quasicrystals" with custom magnetic or electrical properties. The research is published in Physical Review Letters. "Quasicrystals are interesting to study because they have properties that crystals do not have," says Fernando Guevara Vasquez, associate professor of mathematics. "They have been shown to be stiffer than similar periodic or disordered materials. They can also conduct electricity, ...

Mediterranean diet with lean beef may lower risk factors for heart disease

2021-04-14
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Eating red meat may have a bad reputation for being bad for the heart, but new research found that lean beef may have a place in healthy diets, after all. In a randomized controlled study, researchers found that a Mediterranean diet combined with small portions of lean beef helped lower risk factors for developing heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol. Jennifer Fleming, assistant teaching professor of nutrition at Penn State, said the study suggests that healthy diets can include a wide variety of foods, such as red meat, and still be heart friendly. "When you create a healthy diet built on fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, it leaves room for moderate amounts of other foods like lean beef," Fleming said. "There are still ...

New discovery could lead to therapies for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

New discovery could lead to therapies for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
2021-04-14
Irvine, CA - April 14, 2021 - A new study, led by the University of California, Irvine (UCI), reveals how chronic inflammation promotes muscle fibrosis, which could inform the development of new therapies for patients suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a fatal muscle disease. Titled, "A Stromal Progenitor and ILC2 Niche Promotes Muscle Eosinophilia and Fibrosis-Associated Gene Expression," the study was published today in Cell Reports. Chronic inflammation is a major pathological process contributing to the progression and severity of several degenerative disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Studies directed at establishing a causal link between muscular ...

Guide for science outreach

2021-04-14
What are scientists passionate about? What do they actually do, and why does it matter? Answering questions like these is often part of public outreach efforts that, through demystifying the world of science for non-scientists, can increase appreciation for science and boost support for important research initiatives. Outreach can also make the sciences attractive and accessible to a broader diversity of people, who, in turn, can bring new ideas and perspectives. "Science is having challenges in terms of getting the general public to support it and ...

Diabetes drug shows potential in fighting cancer

2021-04-14
BOSTON - The anti-diabetic drug phenformin may prompt stronger cancer-fighting activities than its sister compound metformin, a finding that could have major implications for current and future clinical trials investigating both agents for their anti-cancer potential, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). In a review article in Trends in Cancer, the team presented evidence that immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (which enable T cells to attack and kill cancer cells) in combination with phenformin may also be a promising way to repurpose this diabetic drug as an anti-cancer ...

Impacts of coronavirus lockdowns: New study collects data on pollutants in the atmosphere

Impacts of coronavirus lockdowns: New study collects data on pollutants in the atmosphere
2021-04-14
One consequence of the coronavirus pandemic has been global restrictions on mobility. This, in turn, has had an effect on pollution levels in the atmosphere. Researchers from across the world are using this unique opportunity to take measurements, collect data, and publish studies. An international team led by Forschungszentrum Jülich's Institute of Climate and Energy Research - Troposphere has now published a comprehensive review providing an overview of results up to September 2020. The study also has its own dedicated website, where additional measurement data can be added to supplement and refine existing research results. At the same time, this collection of data allows scientifically substantiated predictions to be made about the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Underserved youth less likely to visit emergency department for concussion in Ontario, study finds

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Beetles under climate stress lay larger male eggs: Wolbachia infection drives adaptive reproduction strategy in response to rising temperature and CO₂

Groundbreaking quantum study puts wave-particle duality to work

Weekly injection could be life changing for Parkinson’s patients

Toxic metals linked to impaired growth in infants in Guatemala

Being consistently physically active in adulthood linked to 30–40% lower risk of death

Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks

Children’s social care involvement common to nearly third of UK mums who died during perinatal period

‘Support, not judgement’: Study explores links between children’s social care involvement and maternal deaths

Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care

Major progress in fertility preservation after treatment for cancer of the lymphatic system

Fewer complications after additional ultrasound in pregnant women who feel less fetal movement

Environmental impact of common pesticides seriously underestimated

The Milky Way could be teeming with more satellite galaxies than previously thought

New study reveals surprising reproductive secrets of a cricket-hunting parasitoid fly

Media Tip Sheet: Symposia at ESA2025

NSF CAREER Award will power UVA engineer’s research to improve drug purification

Tiny parasitoid flies show how early-life competition shapes adult success

New coating for glass promises energy-saving windows

Green spaces boost children’s cognitive skills and strengthen family well-being

Ancient trees dying faster than expected in Eastern Oregon

Study findings help hone precision of proven CVD risk tool

Most patients with advanced melanoma who received pre-surgical immunotherapy remain alive and disease free four years later

Introducing BioEmu: A generative AI Model that enables high-speed and accurate prediction of protein structural ensembles

Replacing mutated microglia with healthy microglia halts progression of genetic neurological disease in mice and humans

New research shows how tropical plants manage rival insect tenants by giving them separate ‘flats’

Condo-style living helps keep the peace inside these ant plants

Climate change action could dramatically limit rising UK heatwave deaths

Annual heat-related deaths projected to increase significantly due to climate and population change

[Press-News.org] RNA holds the reins in bacteria: U-M researchers observe RNA controlling protein synthesis