A novel mechanism of ribonuclease regulation: GcvB and Hfq stabilize the mRNA that encodes RNase BN/Z during exponential phase.

RNase BN, the Escherichia coli RNase Z family member, plays a limited role in tRNA metabolism, in contrast to most other organisms. However, RNase BN does act on 6S RNA, the global transcription regulator, degrading it in exponential-phase cells and maintaining it at low levels during this phase of growth. RNase BN levels decrease in stationary-phase cells, leading to elevation of 6S RNA and subsequent regulation of RNA polymerase. These findings were the first indication that RNase BN itself is growth phase-regulated. Here, we analyze the mechanism of this regulation of RNase BN. We find that RNase BN decreases in stationary phase because its mRNA becomes unstable, due primarily to its degradation by RNase E. However, in exponential-phase cells rbn mRNA is stabilized due to binding by the sRNA, GcvB, and the protein, Hfq, which reduce cleavage by RNase E. Because the amount of GcvB decreases in stationary phase, rbn mRNA is less protected and becomes increasingly unstable resulting in reduction in the amount of RNase BN. The small RNA-dependent, positive regulation of RNase BN in exponential-phase cells is the first example of this novel mechanism for RNase regulation.