Mycobacterial Riboregulators
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is one of the biggest killers throughout times and currently the world’s number one killer due to a single infectious agent. Yet, very little is known about the RNA biology of this pathogen. Research over the last two decades has demonstrated that RNA is much more than an intermediary between genes and proteins. This multi-functional molecule has turned out to perform regulatory roles that affect all levels of gene expression in all domains of life. Bacterial RNA-based regulators (riboregulators) come in different shapes and sizes including small RNAs (sRNAs), antisense RNA, 5’ leaders and riboswitches, and they form an extensive network of co- and post-transcriptional regulators that modulate and fine-tune the protein-based regulation of gene expression mediated by e.g. transcription factors. Our aim is to obtain a deeper understanding of the basic (RNA) biology of Mtb, which in time will support the development of novel diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. By combining high-throughput methods with a range of genetic and molecular biology approaches, we aim to characterize the expression, processing, degradation and regulatory role of different Mtb riboregulators.
Selected publications
Riboswitches: choosing the best platform.
Arnvig, K.B. Biochemical Society Transactions, (2019) doi: 10.1042/BST20180507
Cell-wall synthesis and ribosome maturation are co-regulated by an RNA switch in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Schwenk, S., Moores, A., Nobeli, I., McHugh, T.D., Arnvig, K.B. Nucleic acids research, (2018) doi:10.1093/nar/gky226
Regulatory RNA in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, back to basics.
Schwenk, S., Arnvig, K.B. Pathogens and disease (2018) 76 (4), doi:10.1093/femspd/fty035