RNA networks in prokaryotes I: CRISPRs and riboswitches.

As with eukaryotes, prokaryotes employ a variety of mechanisms to allow the various types of RNA to interact and perform complex functions as a network. This chapter will detail prokaryotic molecular systems, such as riboswitches and CRISPRs, to show how they perform unique functions within the cell. These systems can interact with each other to gain a higher level of control and here we highlight some examples of such interactions including the cleavage of certain riboswitches by RNaseP, and endoribonuclease cleavage of pre-crRNAs in the CRISPR system. Thanks to such insights, we are beginning to get a glimpse of the prokaryotic RNA infrastructure, just as we have done with eukaryotes.