Wie RNA-Thermometer die Sekretion von Virulenzfaktoren kontrollieren

Pathogenic bacteria use outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and highly adapted machineries like the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) to deliver virulence factors into host cells. The secretion of such effector proteins is tightly regulated. In the foodborne human pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, several thermo-responsive RNA elements, termed RNA thermometers, are strategically positioned at critical checkpoints of virulence regulation. They use a temperature-dependent, zipper-like mechanism to control translation initiation of genes for several T3SS components and an exotoxin.