Transcription start site mapping and small RNA profiling of Leptospira biflexa serovar Patoc

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology 2023-04, Vol.39 (4), p.104-104, Article 104
• Main Authors: Cheah, Hong-Leong, Ahmed, Siti Aminah, Tang, Thean-Hock
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5' Untranslated Regions; Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Environmental conditions; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Growth conditions; Leptospira; Leptospira biflexa; Leptospirosis; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Molecular modelling; Natural environment; Open reading frames; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Small Untranslated; Serogroup; Survival; Transcription; Transcription initiation; Transcription Initiation Site; Virulence; Virulence factors; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03540-4

Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by bacterial species of the genus Leptospira . However, the regulatory mechanisms and pathways underlying the adaptation of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leptospira spp . in different environmental conditions remain elusive. Leptospira biflexa is a non-pathogenic species of Leptospira that lives exclusively in a natural environment. It is an ideal model not only for exploring molecular mechanisms underlying the environmental survival of Leptospira species but also for identifying virulence factors unique to Leptospira ’s pathogenic species. In this study, we aim to establish the transcription start site (TSS) landscape and the small RNA (sRNA) profile of L. biflexa serovar Patoc grown to exponential and stationary phases via differential RNA-seq (dRNA-seq) and small RNA-seq (sRNA-seq) analyses, respectively. Our dRNA-seq analysis uncovered a total of 2726 TSSs, which are also used to identify other elements, e.g., promoter and untranslated regions (UTRs). Besides, our sRNA-seq analysis revealed a total of 603 sRNA candidates, comprising 16 promoter-associated sRNAs, 184 5ʹUTR-derived sRNAs, 230 true intergenic sRNAs, 136 5ʹUTR-antisense sRNAs, and 130 open reading frame (ORF)-antisense sRNAs. In summary, these findings reflect the transcriptional complexity of L. biflexa serovar Patoc under different growth conditions and help to facilitate our understanding of regulatory networks in L. biflexa . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the TSS landscape of L. biflexa . The TSS and sRNA landscapes of L. biflexa can also be compared with its pathogenic counterparts, e.g., L. borgpetersenii and L. interrogans , to identify features contributing to their environmental survival and virulence.