In recent years, sRNAs (small non-coding RNAs) have been found to be abundant in eukaryotes and bacteria and have been recognized as a novel class of gene expression regulators. In contrast, much less is known about sRNAs in archaea, except for snoRNAs (small nucleolar RNAs) that are involved in the modification of bases in stable RNAs. Therefore bioinformatic and experimental RNomics approaches were undertaken to search for the presence of sRNAs in the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii, resulting in more than 150 putative sRNA genes being identified. Northern blot analyses were used to study (differential) expression of sRNA genes. Several chromosomal deletion mutants of sRNA genes were generated and compared with the wild-type. It turned out that two sRNAs are essential for growth at low salt concentrations and high temperatures respectively, and one is involved in the regulation of carbon metabolism. Taken together, it could be shown that sRNAs are as abundant in H. volcanii as they are in well-studied bacterial species and that they fulfil important biological roles under specific conditions.
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February 2009
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Conference Article|
January 20 2009
Small RNAs of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii
Jörg Soppa;
Jörg Soppa
1
*Goethe University, Biocentre, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email soppa@bio.uni-frankfurt.de).
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Julia Straub;
Julia Straub
*Goethe University, Biocentre, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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Mariam Brenneis;
Mariam Brenneis
*Goethe University, Biocentre, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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Angelika Jellen-Ritter;
Angelika Jellen-Ritter
†Biology II, University of Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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Ruth Heyer;
Ruth Heyer
†Biology II, University of Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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Susan Fischer;
Susan Fischer
†Biology II, University of Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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Michaela Granzow;
Michaela Granzow
*Goethe University, Biocentre, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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Björn Voss;
Björn Voss
‡Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics, University Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schänzlestrasse 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
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Wolfgang R. Hess;
Wolfgang R. Hess
‡Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics, University Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schänzlestrasse 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
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Brian Tjaden;
Brian Tjaden
§Computer Science Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, U.S.A.
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Anita Marchfelder
Anita Marchfelder
†Biology II, University of Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
September 30 2008
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Biochemical Society
2009
Biochem Soc Trans (2009) 37 (1): 133–136.
Article history
Received:
September 30 2008
Citation
Jörg Soppa, Julia Straub, Mariam Brenneis, Angelika Jellen-Ritter, Ruth Heyer, Susan Fischer, Michaela Granzow, Björn Voss, Wolfgang R. Hess, Brian Tjaden, Anita Marchfelder; Small RNAs of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Biochem Soc Trans 1 February 2009; 37 (1): 133–136. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0370133
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