Assessing the conservation and targets of putative sRNAs in <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>

Previous studies identified many small RNA candidates in <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>, several of which were hypothesized to play a role in <i>S. pneumoniae</i> virulence. Due to the differing sequencing methods, diverse inclusion criteria, <i>S. pneumoniae</i> strain differences, as well as limited follow-up, it is unclear to what extent candidates identified in different studies have overlapping sequences and functions, and their biological relevance remains ambiguous. This research aims to consolidate the candidate sRNAs across these studies and focuses attention on those that are likely to be regulatory and associated with virulence. This study's findings enhance our knowledge of the conservation of small regulatory RNAs across the many <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> strains and highlight a handful that appear likely to have a role in growth or virulence.