Grant: Operating Grant

Bacteria are organisms that can survive almost everywhere, from below 0'C in cold polar seas, to boiling hot springs. Not only bacteria can survive at excessive temperatures but also in extreme acidity, salt concentration, and starvation. Unfortunately, this enormous adaptation capacity also makes them able to resist to antibiotic treatments. To live in such extreme conditions, Bacteria use many strategies that help them adapt and continue to growth. Among the different strategies developed by bacteria to adapt to severe conditions is the use of small molecules called small regulatory RNAs. One of these small molecules, called RyhB, is found in the bacterium Escherichia coli that live in the gut of mammals, including human. The small regulatory RNA RyhB has been demonstrated to modify the composition of the bacterial cell during iron starvation. By doing this, we think the small molecule RyhB assists the cell to adapt against the lack of Iron. This metal is an essential nutrient for most organisms because it is central in the energy metabolism. Unfortunately, iron is often scarce in environment. This scarcity of iron can lead to diseases and stimulate bacterial infection. Our goal is to understand the mechanism of small regulatory RNAs by studying RyhB and various other small RNAs. We think that the study of the small RNAs will eventually help us understand the development of microbial disease and improve antibacterial therapies.