Synthetic small RNAs: Current status, challenges, and opportunities

Abstract

Small regulatory RNAs act at the levels of transcription, posttranscription, and translation, with numerous roles that include binding to protein targets, protein modification, binding to messenger RNA targets, and regulation of gene expression. We discuss the development of a number of riboregulators and riboswitches, highlighting their use in metabolic engineering and genetic control. Riboregulators and riboswitches are self-assembled RNA molecules that can dynamically change their conformation, acting as regulatory switches that affect biological changes. They have currently been designed, characterized, and implemented in a wide range of organisms and cell types, including bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells. We have identified and examined the recent advances in RNA synthetic biology, underlining the potential future development of their use and capabilities, noting how these can be ultimately expanded and improved into novel biotechnological, biomedical, and industrial applications.

Bioremediation Techniques: Harnessing the Power of Microorganisms for Environmental Restoration

“…The field of synthetic biology has rapidly developed, combining engineering and biological concepts with the goal of reorganizing living things, mostly through genetic reprogramming [76] [77]. A variety of cloning techniques, such as genome assembly and synthesis, cell-free protein synthesis, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats with associated proteins (CRISPR Cas), and synthetic devices, such as small noncoding RNAs like riboregulators, riboswitches, synthetic oscillator, toggle switch, and biologic gates, are included in synthetic biology [78] [79] [80]. Synthetic biology could provide a framework for the development of high throughput sensors in microbes, giving them the capacity to react to, detect, and distinguish between highly identical or closely related substances at very low concentrations [76] [77].…”

Differences in Bacterial Small RNAs in Stool Samples from Hypercholesterolemic and Normocholesterolemic Subjects

“…Considering the above, it has been proposed to use these interactions between microbiota and humans as biomarkers for common and priority diseases, such as cancer and obesity [ 24 ]. In addition, according to the above-described research, the use of RNA synthetic biology has been proposed for the creation and use of small RNAs for various therapeutic purposes, also considering the mechanism of delivery to target cells, to avoid the activation of the immune system or degradation by nucleases present in the blood, among others [ 25 , 26 ].…”

A Novel Non-Coding RNA CsiR Regulates the Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Proteus vulgaris by Interacting with emrB mRNA

“…A large number of studies have shown that ncRNAs are widely involved in the regulation of bacterial oxidative stress resistance [ 4 , 5 ], biofilm formation [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], osmotic pressure [ 9 , 10 ], virulence factor expression [ 11 , 12 ], bacterial antibiotic resistance [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], and many other physiological processes, among which the research of ncRNAs on the regulation of antibiotic resistance has become an important issue in recent years due to global drug resistance emergence. In view of their regulatory flexibility and low metabolic burden, ncRNAs have become one of the most versatile biobricks in the field of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. According to a number of studies, bacterial ncRNAs play regulatory roles in different modes, the most widely known of which are functioning via the interaction with the target mRNA [ 5 , 19 , 20 ].…”