Cellulosome stoichiometry in Clostridium cellulolyticum is regulated by selective RNA processing and stabilization

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7900
• Publication Date: 2015-04-24T12:02:08Z
• Authors: Chenggang Xu; Ranran Huang; Lin Teng; Xiaoyan Jing; Jianqiang Hu; Guzhen Cui; Yilin Wang; Qiu Cui; Jian Xu
• Keywords: Cellulosome; Intergenic region

Abstract The mechanism, physiological relevance and evolutionary implication of selective RNA processing stabilization (SRPS) remain elusive. Here we report the genome-wide maps transcriptional start sites (TSs) post-transcriptional processed (PSs) for Clostridium cellulolyticum . PS-associated genes are preferably associated with subunits heteromultimeric protein complexes, intergenic PSs (iPSs) enriched in operons exhibiting highly skewed transcript-abundance landscape. Stem-loop structures those iPSs located at 3′ termini transcribed exhibit folding free energy negatively correlated ratio flanking genes. In cellulosome-encoding cip-cel operon, stem-loops precisely regulate structure abundance subunit-encoding transcripts from a primary polycistronic RNA, quantitatively specifying cellulosome stoichiometry. Moreover, evolution is shaped by number, position biophysical nature TSs, stem-loops. Our findings unveil RNA-encoded strategy controlling vivo stoichiometry complexes.