Complex interplay of riboregulatory mechanisms at the gcvT -NGFG_01513- gcvH operon of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

In the bacterial world, riboregulation is extremely widespread and controls virtually all aspects of the life of bacterial cells. Riboregulatory mechanisms are very diverse and involve trans- and cis-acting regulatory elements such as small RNAs and riboswitches that are able to control gene expression by direct binding of small molecules. Here, we report a very peculiar and rare example of riboregulation in which an mRNA is regulated by both trans-acting sibling sRNAs and a glycine-responsive tandem riboswitch, which control glycine metabolism of the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This regulatory interplay of sibling sRNAs with a tandem riboswitch allows integration of different cellular signals and represents an intriguing new facet of riboregulation.