Biology:Ivy-DE RNA motif

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ivy-DE
RF02999.svg
Consensus secondary structure and sequence conservation of ivy-DE RNA
Identifiers
Symbolivy-DE
RfamRF02999
Other data
RNA typeCis-reg
SO0005836
PDB structuresPDBe

The ivy-DE RNA motif is a conserved RNA structure that was discovered by bioinformatics.[1] ivy-DE motifs are found in the genus Pseudomonas.

ivy-DE motif RNAs likely function as cis-regulatory elements, in view of their positions that are consistently downstream of protein-coding genes. However, the RNA is most likely located in the 3′ UTR of the regulated (upstream) genes, even though cis-regulatory RNAs in bacteria generally reside in the 5′ UTR. No genetic elements are consistently located downstream of ivy-DE motif RNAs, so the RNAs could be regulators within the 3′ UTR. However, it is possible that they are co-transcribed with the upstream genes and function rather as small RNAs.

ivy-DE motif RNAs are downstream of ivy (inhibitor of vertebrate lysozyme) genes. ivy proteins are used by bacteria and have shown to be potent inhibitors of vertebrate lysozymes (see [1]). However, other biological functions have been proposed.[2] Additionally, at least in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, the RNA is associated with a gene that encodes a homolog of the ivy protein that does not actually inhibit lysozyme.[2] The function of this gene is unknown, but its expression increases in bacterial strains that overexpress the PhrS small RNA[3] and during hypoxic growth.[4]

References