DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2071

 

动物生活环境与动物基因表达之间的关系是生命科学研究的中心议题之一。其中食物是动物环境的重要组成部分。单革教授实验室的研究表明，大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli）可以利用其自身产生的非编码RNA来调控取食它的秀丽线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）的基因表达和生理功能。非编码RNA作为一类不编码蛋白质的核糖核酸分子，是目前生命科学研究的热点之一。此研究显示非编码RNA可以具有物种间的调控作用，并且暗示非编码RNA可能参与了物种之间相互关系形成的进化过程。这一研究对进一步认识非编码RNA的功能及功能机理具有一定的启示意义。

 

Abstract: Food and other environmental factors affect gene expression and behavior of animals. Differences in bacterial food affect the behavior and longevity of C. elegans. However, no research has been carried out to investigate whether bacteria could utilize endogenous RNAs to affect C. elegans physiology. Here we show that two E. coli endogenous noncoding RNAs, OxyS and DsrA, impact on the physiology of C. elegans. OxyS downregulates che-2, leading to impairment in C. elegans chemosensory behaviour and DsrA suppresses diacylglycerol lipase gene F42G9.6, leading to a decrease in longevity. We also examine some genes in the C. elegans RNA interference pathway for their possible involvement in the effects of OxyS and DsrA. Other bacteria, such as Bacillus mycoides, may also utilize its noncoding RNAs to interfere with gene expression in C. elegans. Our results demonstrate that E. coli noncoding RNAs can regulate gene expression and physiological conditions of C. elegans and indicate that noncoding RNAs might have interspecies ecological roles.