Noncoding RNA.

Regulatory RNAs, present in many bacterial genomes and particularly in pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, control the expression of genes encoding virulence factors or metabolic proteins. They are extremely diverse and include noncoding RNAs (sRNA), antisense RNAs, and some 5' or 3' untranslated regions of messenger RNAs that act as sensors for metabolites, tRNAs, or environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pH). In this review we focus on specific examples of sRNAs of S. aureus that illustrate how numerous sRNAs and associated proteins are embedded in complex networks of regulation. In addition, we discuss the CRISPR-Cas systems defined as an RNA-interference-like mechanism, which also exist in staphylococcal strains.