Quantitative analysis of bacterial gene regulation by small RNAs

Novel gene regulatory mechanisms are suggested by another important type of interaction partner in the cell: small RNA which can bind to mRNA or protein, modifying gene expression or protein activity. The integration of small RNA regulators into known signal transduction and regulatory networks constitutes the main objective of this project initiating an essential step for systems biology. For the bacterial model organism, we will investigate both types of sRNAmediated regulation. sRNA-mRNA interaction will be studied using the IsrR-isiA system, we discovered in a cyanobacterial organism, Synechocystis, indicating sign-sensitive delay kinetics. The sRNA-protein interaction given by the 6SRNA-polymerase model is likely to be involved in a complex gene regulatory network. In E. coli, 6S RNA stably binds to the sigma70-RNA polymerase changing selectivity of RNA polymerase in response to stress conditions. With the main focus on sRNA interaction dynamics as an elementary part of stress responses and biotech processes we are aiming at the optimization of bacterial cell factories in the future.