A novel dialogue between proteins and RNA at the heart of bacterial sporulation, Clémentine Delan-Forino

The LCB (Laboratory of Bacterial Chemistry), part of the IMM, which includes Thomas Kaboré and Clémentine Delan-Forino (Galinier team, CNRS, LCB Marseille), together with their collaborators from the IMM Proteomics Platform, have published in mSystems a study highlighting a new level of regulation of bacterial sporulation: the interactions between proteins and RNA.

By adapting the OOPS (Orthogonal Organic Phase Separation) method to Bacillus subtilis, the researchers were able to draw up a complete map of RNA-binding proteins (the RBPome) and track its evolution during sporulation.

They identified over 1,500 proteins, including several new candidates, and showed that certain metabolic proteins, such as KhpA and SpoVR, have an unexpected role in post-transcriptional regulation.

This work reveals the great plasticity of regulatory networks in bacteria, and opens up new perspectives for understanding their adaptation and resistance in hostile environments.

Learn more : Kaboré T, Belghazi M, Verthuy C, Galinier A, Delan-Forino C. Remodeling of RNA-binding proteome and RNA-mediated regulation as a new layer of control of sporulation. mSystems. 2025 Sep 23;10(9):e0049625. doi: 10.1128/msystems.00496-25