The Power Duo: How the Interplay Between Nucleoid-Associated Proteins and Small Noncoding RNAs Orchestrates the Cellular Regulatory Symphony.

Molecular microbiology [Mol Microbiol] 2025 Jun; Vol. 123 (6), pp. 531-546. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Apr 05.

In bacteria, the regulation of gene expression involves complex networks that integrate both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. At the transcriptional level, nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) such as H-NS, HU, Lrp, IHF, Fis and Hfq are key players as they not only compact bacterial DNA but also regulate transcription. Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs), on the other hand, are known to affect bacterial gene expression posttranscriptionally by base pairing with the target mRNA, but they can also be involved in nucleoid condensation. Interestingly, certain NAPs also influence the function of sRNAs and, conversely, sRNAs themselves can modulate the activity of NAPs, creating a complex bidirectional regulatory network. Here, we summarise the current knowledge of the major NAPs, focusing on the specific role of Hfq. Examples of the regulation of NAPs by sRNAs, the regulation of sRNAs by NAPs and the role of sRNAs in nucleoid structuring are also discussed. This review focuses on the cross-talk between NAPs and sRNAs in an attempt to understand how this interplay works to orchestrate the functioning of the cell.
(© 2025 The Author(s). Molecular Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

English

Publisher: Blackwell Scientific Publications Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8712028 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1365-2958 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0950382X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Mol Microbiol Subsets: MEDLINE

RNA, Small Untranslated*/metabolism , RNA, Small Untranslated*/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial* , Bacterial Proteins*/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins*/genetics , DNA-Binding Proteins*/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins*/genetics , Bacteria*/genetics , Bacteria*/metabolism, Host Factor 1 Protein/metabolism ; Host Factor 1 Protein/genetics ; RNA, Bacterial/metabolism ; RNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Transcription, Genetic ; DNA, Bacterial/metabolism ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics

20250613