RNA G-Quadruplex Structures Mediate Gene Regulation in Bacteria

Abstract

G-quadruplex in RNA (rG4) mediates various biological functions and cellular processes in eukaryotic organisms. However, the presence, locations, and functions of rG4 are still elusive in prokaryotes. Here, we found that rG4 is an abundant RNA secondary structure across a wide range of bacterial species. Subsequently, the transcriptome-wide rG4 structure sequencing (rG4-seq) revealed that the model E. coli strain and a major human pathogen, P. aeruginosa , have 168 and 161 in vitro rG4 sites, respectively, involved in virulence, gene regulation, cell envelope, and metabolism. We further verified the regulatory functions of two rG4 sites in bacteria ( hemL and bswR ). Overall, this finding strongly suggests that rG4s play key regulatory roles in a wide range of bacterial species.