preQ1-binding RNAs in Listeria monocytogenes

Riboswitches are widespread regulatory RNA modules in bacteria, with many different classes already identified and even more yet to be discovered. Traditionally, the identification of riboswitches has relied on bioinformatic analyses and genetic screens. In this work, we explored the possibility of identifying and characterizing predicted and novel riboswitches using an affinity purification-based approach with a functionalized preQ1 ligand. A transcriptome-wide pull-down experiment resulted in strong preQ1-dependent enrichment of several candidate sequences.