Antisense regulation by transposon-derived RNAs in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

We report the first example of antisense RNA regulation in a hyperthermophilic archaeon. In Sulfolobus solfataricus, the transposon-derived paralogous RNAs, RNA-257(1–4), show extended complementarity to the 3′ UTR of the 1183 mRNA, encoding a putative phosphate transporter. Phosphate limitation results in decreased RNA-257(1) and increased 1183 mRNA levels. Correspondingly, the 1183 mRNA is faster degraded in vitro upon duplex formation with RNA-257(1). Insertion of the 1183 3′ UTR downstream of the lacS gene results in strongly reduced lacS mRNA levels in transformed cells, indicating that antisense regulation can function in trans.