<b>A small RNA from </b><b><i>Streptococcus suis</i></b><b> epidemic ST7 strain promotes bacterial</b><b> </b><b>survival in host blood and brain by enhancing oxidative stress resistance</b>

In this study, we found a sRNA rss03 widely present in<i> </i><i>S. suis</i> pathogenic strains that are responsible for pig and human infections. Using three methods to identify rss03 targets, we found that rss03 binds to the coding sequence of <i>glpF</i> mRNA (encoding an aquaporin), unexpectedly protecting it from RNase J1-mediated degradation. Additionally, both rss03 and GlpF enhance <i>S. suis</i> oxidative stress resistance and bacterial survival in murine macrophages, sustaining an elevated bacterial load within the blood and brain. These findings enhance our understanding of <i>S. suis</i> pathogenesis and provide the first sRNA targetome and valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms of sRNAs in <i>Streptococcus</i> species.