Transcriptional profiling to elucidate processes regulated by 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPase) in Escherichia coli K12 BW25113 (E. coli)

The impact of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPase) on global gene expression in E. coli was investigated by heterologous expression of mammalian CNPase in a strain containing a deletion of the 'rna' gene. 'rna' encodes an endoribonuclease capable of hydrolyzing RNA into 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide monophosphates (2',3'-cNMPs) such that deletion of 'rna' drastically reduces 2',3'-cNMPs levels to undetectable levels. Expression of CNPase in this strain allowed any effects of CNPase unrelated to 2',3'-cNMPs to be observed. Overall design: Global transcript levels in a 'rna' deletion strain of E. coli expressing CNPase were compared to levels in control cells with the same deletion expressing a catalytically inactive variant of CNPase in order to identify cellular processes modulated by CNPase that are unrelated to 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide monophosphates.