Regulatory RNAs Involved in Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance

An increasing number of RNAs have been recently shown topossess regulatory functions similar to those of proteins. Inbacteria, these regulatory RNAs are usually noncoding and areshort size (50–500 nts) transcripts that are often referred to assmall RNAs (sRNAs) [1,2]. These sRNAs are synthesized underspecific environmental conditions and play a major role in theregulation of various cellular processes (Figure 1) [3]. Most ofthem act via an imperfect antisense base-pairing with their targetmRNAs. Duplex formation usually results in inhibition orstimulation of mRNA target translation. In some cases, sRNAscan also bind proteins to influence their activities (e.g., 6S RNA).Compared to protein-dependent mechanisms, sRNAs require lessenergy, act faster and also allow a coordinated regulation ofseveral targets. Owing to these characteristics, sRNAs allowefficient adaptation of bacteria to their ever-changing environ-ment. Therefore, the possibility exists that some sRNAs may beinvolved in antibiotic resistance. In this report, we provideevidence that illustrates the growing number of sRNAs thatinfluence bacterial resistance to antibiotics.