12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes

Define antisense RNA, and describe how it affects the translation of a complementary mRNA. Why is it more advantageous to the organism to stop translation initiation than to inactivate or destroy the gene product after it is produced?

Both attenuation of the trp operon in E. coli and riboswitches in B. subtilis rely on changes in the secondary structure of the leader regions of mRNA to regulate gene expression. Compare and contrast the specific mechanisms in these two types of regulation with that involving short noncoding RNAs (sRNAs).

Microbiologists describe the processes of transcription and translation as 'coupled' in bacteria. This term indicates that a bacterial mRNA can be undergoing transcription at the same moment it is also undergoing translation.How is coupling of transcription and translation possible in bacteria?

What is a riboswitch? Describe the riboswitch mechanism that regulates transcription of the thi operon in B. subtilus. What parallels can you see between this mechanism and the regulation of transcription of the trp operon in E. coli?