Expanding the CarD interaction network: CrsL is a novel transcription regulator in actinobacteria

Bacterial transcription regulation is critical for adaptation and survival. CarD is an essential transcription factor in mycobacteria involved in the regulation of gene expression. We searched for CarD interaction partners in Mycobacterium smegmatis and identified a novel uncharacterized protein, named CrsL (MSMEG_5890). CrsL is a 5.7 kDa protein shown by NMR to be intrinsically disordered. CrsL homologs are present in actinobacteria, including pathogenic species such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CrsL interacts directly with CarD, adopting an ordered structure in the complex, and also binds RNAP, controlling CarD-RNAP association. ChIP-seq showed that CrsL associates with the promoters of actively transcribed genes and ∼75% of these regions are also associated with CarD. RNA-seq revealed ∼50% and ∼66% overlap in differentially expressed genes between CrsL and CarD knockdowns during the exponential and stationary phases, respectively. Among CrsL-regulated genes are DesA desaturase (MSMEG_5773) and DEAD/DEAH-box RNA helicase MSMEG_1930, which contribute to cold stress adaptation. CrsL supports the growth of M. smegmatis at elevated temperature but limits growth in cold environments. In summary, these findings identify CrsL as a novel, conserved CarD-interacting protein playing a key role in mycobacterial stress responses by modulating CarD function.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Nucleic Acids Research
Published
2025-11-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf1342
Primary Topic
Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Expanding the CarD interaction network: CrsL is a novel transcription regulator in actinobacteria

Jitka Jirát Matějčková, Martin Převorovský, Martin Hubálek, Libor Krásný et al.
Nucleic Acids Research
Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
article

Expanding the CarD interaction network: CrsL is a novel transcription regulator in actinobacteria

Jitka Jirát Matějčková, Martin Převorovský, Martin Hubálek, Libor Krásný, Petr Halada, Jarmila Hnilicová, Viola Vaňková Hausnerová, Marek Schwarz, Hana Šanderová, Lukáš Žı́dek, Jana Holubová, Michaela Šiková, Ondřej Staněk, Věra Dvořáková, Nabajyoti Borah, Silvia Neva, Martin Černý, Mahmoud Shoman
article en

Abstract

Bacterial transcription regulation is critical for adaptation and survival. CarD is an essential transcription factor in mycobacteria involved in the regulation of gene expression. We searched for CarD interaction partners in Mycobacterium smegmatis and identified a novel uncharacterized protein, named CrsL (MSMEG_5890). CrsL is a 5.7 kDa protein shown by NMR to be intrinsically disordered. CrsL homologs are present in actinobacteria, including pathogenic species such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CrsL interacts directly with CarD, adopting an ordered structure in the complex, and also binds RNAP, controlling CarD-RNAP association. ChIP-seq showed that CrsL associates with the promoters of actively transcribed genes and ∼75% of these regions are also associated with CarD. RNA-seq revealed ∼50% and ∼66% overlap in differentially expressed genes between CrsL and CarD knockdowns during the exponential and stationary phases, respectively. Among CrsL-regulated genes are DesA desaturase (MSMEG_5773) and DEAD/DEAH-box RNA helicase MSMEG_1930, which contribute to cold stress adaptation. CrsL supports the growth of M. smegmatis at elevated temperature but limits growth in cold environments. In summary, these findings identify CrsL as a novel, conserved CarD-interacting protein playing a key role in mycobacterial stress responses by modulating CarD function.

Nucleic Acids ResearchVol. 53(22)
Central European Institute of Technology (CZ), Army Medical University (CN), Charles University (CZ), Masaryk University (CZ), National Institute of Public Health (JP), Central European Institute of Technology – Masaryk University (CZ), Institute of Microbiology (BY), Military Research Institute (CZ), Institute of Organic Chemistry (PL), National Institute of Public Health (CZ), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (CZ)
Openalex Percentile: Top 57%
Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.