Sib RNA

Sib RNAs refers to a group of related non-coding RNA. They were originally named QUAD RNA after they were discovered as four repeat elements in Escherichia coli intergenic regions. The family was later renamed Sib (for short intergenic abundant sequences) when it was discovered that the number of repeats is variable in other species and in other E. coli strains.

Identification

These small RNA were identified computationally by searching the genome of E. coli for intergenic regions of high sequence identity (sequence conservation) with the genomes of closely related bacteria (several salmonella species and Klebsiella pneumoniae). This data was combined with microarray expression analysis and potential novel ncRNAs identified. The expression of novel ncRNA of interest was confirmed by northern blotting.

In this large scale screen these ncRNAs were simply referred to as candidates 43, 55 and 61. These 3 ncRNA appear to be highly homologous and are derived from a repeat region of the genome. Each of the ncRNA contains a short stretch homologous to boxC, a repeat element of unknown function present in 50 copies or more within the genome of E. coli.Bachellier, S., Gilson, E., Hofnung, M., and Hill, C.W. 1996. Repeated sequences. In Escherichia coli and Salmonella: Cellular and...
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