Poster abstracts

Poster number 54 submitted by Susan Russell

Post-transcriptional modifications in bacterial rRNA and heat shock

Susan Russell (University of Cincinnati), Dr. Patrick A. Limbach (University of Cincinnati)

Abstract:
Post-transcriptional modifications found in ribosomal RNA are thought to be important for both the structure and function of the ribosome. The modified nucleosides of rRNA tend to cluster in the functionally important region of the ribosome and modifications occur in conserved regions. Few rRNA modifying enzymes are known and their regulation is not well understood. At least one modifying enzyme, FtsJ, a specific methyltransferase which creates the 2\'-O-methyluridine at U2552 in 23S RNA, has been identified as a heat shock protein.
The heat shock response is a mechanism which allows a cell to cope with a sudden increase in temperature or other environmental stress. The initiation of the heat shock response is transcriptionally regulated by an alternative sigma factor that directs RNA polymerase to different promoter sites which induces a rapid and transient expression of many genes that code for \

Keywords: RNA modification