RNA switch

RNA switches are regulatory systems that rely on alternative mRNA structures.

RNA switches may be triggered by proteins, tRNAs (T-box), or metabolites (riboswitches)

List of Bacillus subtilis RNAswitches

Protein-dependent RNA switches
- L20 leader: in front of the infC-rpmI-rplT-ysdA operon: controlled by RplT binding
- ptsG-ptsH-ptsI: controlled by GlcT
- sacX-sacY, sacB: controlled by SacY
- sacP-sacA: controlled by SacT
- bglS, bglP-bglH-yxiE: controlled by BglP
- glpD, glpF-glpK, glpT-glpQ: controlled by GlpP
- pabA, trpE-trpD-trpC-trpF-trpB-trpA, trpP, ycbK: controlled by TRAP
- hutH-hutU-hutI-hutG-hutM: controlled by HutP
- pyrR-pyrP-pyrB-pyrC-pyrAA-pyrAB-pyrK-pyrD-pyrF-pyrE: controlled by PyrR

Riboswitches
- A-box
- FMN-box
- G-box
- Gly-box
- L-box
- M-box
- preQ1 riboswitch
- ribozyme: glmS
- S-box
- Thi-box

Potential additional RNA switches
- pyrG RNA switch: low levels of intracellular CTP induce reiterative addition of G residues at position +4 in the 5' end of the pyrG mRNA, which is encoded as pppGGGC. . . . The poly(G) sequences formed under these conditions act to prevent attenuation by base pairing with the C- and U-rich 5' strand of a downstream terminator stem-loop located in the pyrG leader. PubMed
- EAR (eps-associated RNA switch): located between epsB and epsC, mediates processive antitermination and allows expression of the long eps operon PubMed

The function of the following potential RNA structures is unknown. They were suggested to control the mentioned genes.