VqmR sRNA explained

VqmR sRNA
Rfam:	RF02834
Tax Domain:	Bacteria
Go:	,,

VqmR small RNA was discovered in Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium which can cause cholera, using differential RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) under conditions of low and high cell density which were being used to study quorum sensing (QS).^[1] QS controls virulence and biofilm formation in Vibrio cholerae; it has been shown previously that it is directed by the Qrr sRNAs.^{[2] [3]} VqmR has been shown to repress the expression of multiple mRNAs including the rtx (repeats in toxin) toxin genes and the , which is required for biofilm formation. In fact, VqmR which is highly conserved in vibrionaceae, was shown to strongly inhibit biofilm formation by repressing the gene; it could be the link between biofilm formation and QS.

Notes and References

1. Papenfort K, Förstner KU, Cong JP, Sharma CM, Bassler BL . Differential RNA-seq of Vibrio cholerae identifies the VqmR small RNA as a regulator of biofilm formation . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 112 . 7 . E766–775 . February 2015 . 25646441 . 4343088 . 10.1073/pnas.1500203112 . free .
2. Lenz DH, Mok KC, Lilley BN, Kulkarni RV, Wingreen NS, Bassler BL . The small RNA chaperone Hfq and multiple small RNAs control quorum sensing in Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio cholerae . Cell . 118 . 1 . 69–82 . July 2004 . 15242645 . 10.1016/j.cell.2004.06.009 . free .
3. Bardill JP, Zhao X, Hammer BK . The Vibrio cholerae quorum sensing response is mediated by Hfq-dependent sRNA/mRNA base pairing interactions . Molecular Microbiology . 80 . 5 . 1381–1394 . June 2011 . 21453446 . 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07655.x . free .