A Small Regulatory RNA Controls Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Antibiotic Resistance

Abstract

The alphaproteobacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens is able to infect various eudicots causing crown gall tumor formation. Based on its unique ability of interkingdom gene transfer, Agrobacterium serves as a crucial biotechnological tool for genetic manipulation of plant cells. The presence of hundreds of putative sRNAs in this organism suggests a considerable impact of riboregulation on A. tumefaciens physiology. Here, we characterized the biological function of the sRNA PmaR that controls various processes crucial for growth, motility, and virulence. Among the genes directly targeted by PmaR is ampC coding for a beta-lactamase that confers ampicillin resistance, suggesting that the sRNA is crucial for fitness in the competitive microbial composition of the rhizosphere.