Role of the small RNA CCNA_R0074 in the regulation of translesion synthesis in Caulobacter crescentus

• Grant number: 14/24571-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2015
• End date: February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo da Silva Galhardo
• Grantee: Ellen Kazumi Okuda
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Caulobacter crescentus is a free living bacterium, which presents different cellular forms that allow cell cycle studies, making it a widely used model. Recently, 27 new small RNAs (sRNAs) were identified in the C. crescentus genome. Little is known about the mechanism of action of sRNAs, which can target mRNAs, proteins or both. When mRNAs are the target, sRNAs act by base pairing with them, in such a way that they may either stimulate or prevent translation, by promoting RNA stability or by inhibition of translation start, respectively. Among the sRNAs present in this bacterium, one is present between the imuA and imuB genes, which together with dnaE2, belong to an SOS-regulated operon involved in translesion synthesis. In this project, we will investigate if this sRNA is involved in the regulation of the imuABdnaE2 genes.