MicF RNA

MicF RNA
Predicted secondary structure and sequence conservation of MicF
Identifiers
Symbol	MicF
Rfam	RF00033
Other data
RNA type	Gene; antisense
Domain(s)	Bacteria
GO	0006950 0003729
SO	0000383

The micF RNA is a non-coding RNA stress response gene found in Escherichia coli and related bacteria that post-transcriptionally controls expression of the outer membrane porin gene ompF.^[1] The micF gene encodes a non-translated 93 nucleotide antisense RNA that binds its target ompF mRNA and regulates ompF expression by inhibiting translation and inducing degradation of the message. In addition, other factors, such as the RNA chaperone protein StpA also play a role in this regulatory system. Expression of micF is controlled by both environmental and internal stress factors. Four transcriptional regulators are known to bind the micF promoter region and activate micF expression.

Species distribution

Homologues of MicF RNA have been characterised by Southern blotting in a variety of bacteria including Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.^[2] MicF has also been identified computationally in Yersinia pestis and Yersinia enterocolitica.^[3]

References

1. ^ Delihas, N; Forst S (2001). "MicF: an antisense RNA gene involved in response of Escherichia coli to global stress factors". J Mol Biol 313 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1006/jmbi.2001.5029. PMID 11601842. 
2. ^ Esterling L, Delihas N (May 1994). "The regulatory RNA gene micF is present in several species of gram-negative bacteria and is phylogenetically conserved". Mol. Microbiol. 12 (4): 639–46. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb01051.x. PMID 7523827. 
3. ^ Delihas N (June 2003). "Annotation and evolutionary relationships of a small regulatory RNA gene micF and its target ompF in Yersinia species". BMC Microbiol. 3: 13. doi:10.1186/1471-2180-3-13. PMC 166144. PMID 12834539. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=166144. 

External links

• Rfam page for MicF RNA