Small regulatory RNAs are mediators of the Streptococcus mutans SloR regulon.

Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are critical mediators of environmental signaling, particularly in bacterial cells under stress, but their role in is poorly understood. the principal causative agent of dental caries, uses a 25 kDa manganese-dependent protein, called SloR, to coordinate the regulated uptake of essential metal ions with the transcription of its virulence genes. In the present study, we identified and characterize sRNAs that are both SloR- and manganese-responsive. Taken together, this research can elucidate the details of regulatory networks that engage sRNAs in an important oral pathogen, and that can enable the development of an effective anti-caries therapeutic.