Small RNA regulates transition between chronic and acute bacterial infections.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified a small RNA, named SicX, that regulates the transition between chronic and acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The gene that drives the switch, PA1414, was found to be highly expressed in human tissue samples of chronic bacterial lung and wound infections. The researchers also found that low oxygen drives the high expression of the gene. SicX potentially serves as a biomarker for the chronic-to-acute switch, which could lead to better predictions of when an infection might become life-threatening and the development of targeted therapeutics.