Abstract
Within the past several years, RNA-mediated regulation (ribo-regulation) has become increasingly recognized for its importance in controlling critical bacterial processes. Regulatory RNA molecules, or riboregulators, are perpetually responsive to changes within the micro-environment of a bacterium. Notably, several characterized riboregulators control virulence in pathogenic bacteria, as is the case for each riboregulator characterized to date in Shigella. The timing of virulence gene expression and the ability of the pathogen to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions is critical to the establishment and progression of infection by Shigella species; ribo-regulators mediate each of these important processes. This mini review will present the current state of knowledge regarding RNA-mediated regulation in Shigella by detailing the characterization and function of each identified riboregulator in these pathogens.
Highlights
Shigella are bacterial pathogens highly adapted for colonizing the human gut, a process that is facilitated by their unique lifestyle
Despite the fact that they function to regulate the expression of different target genes and that they utilize a variety of molecular mechanisms, all riboregulators described in Shigella to date share two important features; (1) they each respond, directly or indirectly, to changes in specific environmental conditions, and (2) they all are nestled within large regulatory networks that impact pathogenesis (Table 1 and Figure 1)
The riboregulators in Shigella, described in this review, all respond to environmental changes, and all of them function within larger regulatory networks to influence pathogenesis of these species
Summary
Shigella are bacterial pathogens highly adapted for colonizing the human gut, a process that is facilitated by their unique lifestyle. To establish and progress an efficient infection, Shigella species precisely regulate the expression of virulence-associated genes in response to specific environmental conditions encountered within the host; a collection of complex processes in which regulatory RNA molecules play critical, and ever increasingly recognized roles (Figure 1).
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