Role of Small RNAs in Regulating Virulence Gene Expression in Salmonella Typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Comparative Review

Abdul Ahad Mehboob; Faiqa Shakeel; Hasnain Sajjad; Anam Munir; Faiqa Tabassum; Urooj Fatima

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i9.2334

Authors

Abdul Ahad Mehboob Department of Pathology, National Laboratory & Testing Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Faiqa Shakeel Faculty of Engineering and Science (FES), University of Greenwich, England, UK.
Hasnain Sajjad Department of Microbiology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Anam Munir Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
Faiqa Tabassum Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
Urooj Fatima Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Okara, Punjab, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i9.2334

Keywords:

Small RNAs, Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Virulence Regulation, Post-transcriptional Control, Antivirulence Therapies, RNA Chaperones, Bacterial Pathogenesis.

Abstract

In Gram-negative pathogens, small RNAs (sRNAs) play a crucial role as post-transcriptional regulators, coordinating the expression of virulence genes essential to pathogenesis. The function of sRNAs in Salmonella Typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, model organisms for bacterial virulence research because of their unique ecological niches and intricate pathogenicity, is examined in this review. sRNAs govern quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas and Type III Secretion Systems (T3SS), motility, and stress responses in Salmonella. We highlight the function of RNA chaperones such as Hfq by comparing common and distinct sRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms. RNA-seq and CRISPRi are two experimental methods that have improved the discovery and functional characterization of sRNA. With the potential to create synthetic sRNA mimics, antisense oligonucleotides, and vaccines, sRNAs provide new antivirulence targets for therapeutic use. Regulatory redundancy and context-dependent expression are obstacles that call for integrative multi-omics and systems biology methodologies. This review provides information on the therapeutic and biotechnological potential of sRNAs in the fight against infections by highlighting them as important regulators of bacterial pathogenesis.

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