The <i>txpA</i> and RatA RNAs are stabilized in strains depleted for RNase III and RNase Y, respectively.

Abstract

<p>(A) Chromosomal context of the <i>txpA</i>/RatA toxin/antitoxin cassette present in the Skin prophage. (B) and (C) Northern blots performed on RNAs isolated at times (min) after rifampicin addition (150 µg/ml) in strains depleted for RNase III (CCB288), RNase Y (CCB294) and RNase J1 (CCB034), probed for <i>txpA</i> and RatA, respectively. Northerns were re-probed for 5S rRNA (5S) for normalization. Half-lives are given below each panel. The band labeled D in panel C (RNase J1) is a degradation intermediate of RatA. Note that, in our hands, the <i>txpA</i> mRNA is about 45 nts longer than that proposed in <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003181#pgen.1003181-Silvaggi1" target="_blank">[24]</a> and consistent with the presence of a Rho-independent transcription terminator ∼270 nts from the mapped transcription start site. The overlap between RatA and <i>txpA</i> is predicted to be ∼120 nts.</p