{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"bioRxiv"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:53:24Z","timestamp":1785412404711,"version":"3.56.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"group-title":"Microbiology","reference-count":88,"publisher":"openRxiv","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776643200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/"}],"funder":[{"award":["Intramural Research Program"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Intramural Research Program"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01cwqze88","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>\n                  Bacterial ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) are decorated with conserved nucleotide modifications, but the functionality of these modifications is often underexplored. MraW (RsmH) is a 16S rRNA methyltransferase that fine-tunes ribosomal function. We identified a loss-of-function allele in\n                  <jats:italic>mraW<\/jats:italic>\n                  that corrected a late-stage sporulation defect in\n                  <jats:italic>Bacillus subtilis<\/jats:italic>\n                  by bypassing a key sporulation checkpoint via altered translational regulation. Purified ribosomes isolated from \u0394\n                  <jats:italic>mraW<\/jats:italic>\n                  cells displayed a \u223c2-fold decrease in translation efficiency;\n                  <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                  , \u0394\n                  <jats:italic>mraW<\/jats:italic>\n                  cells produced decreased levels of the sporulation checkpoint protein CmpA. This regulation was mediated by sequences from the 5\u2019 untranslated region and the coding sequence of\n                  <jats:italic>cmpA<\/jats:italic>\n                  , which form a step-loop structure that occlude early codons of the mRNA. Proteomic analysis revealed that MraW directly or indirectly regulates the production of multiple proteins, some of which form similar structural elements as the\n                  <jats:italic>cmpA<\/jats:italic>\n                  transcript. We propose that MraW modification of 16S rRNA enhances translation efficiency in general, and that specific transcripts, whose gene products are likely required in limiting quantities, have evolved structural features that act as a regulatory mechanism to govern protein levels. This type of regulation may be most apparent in bacteria which exhibit uncoupled transcription and translation.\n                <\/jats:p>\n                <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>HIGHLIGHTS<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n                    <jats:list-item>\n                      <jats:p>A conserved 16S rRNA modification enhances translation of structured mRNAs<\/jats:p>\n                    <\/jats:list-item>\n                    <jats:list-item>\n                      <jats:p>Early mRNA stem-loops impose translational control dependent on ribosome modification<\/jats:p>\n                    <\/jats:list-item>\n                    <jats:list-item>\n                      <jats:p>mRNA structure and rRNA modifications likely co-evolved to fine-tune protein dosage<\/jats:p>\n                    <\/jats:list-item>\n                  <\/jats:list>\n                <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.04.20.719615","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T05:45:28Z","timestamp":1776750328000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["16S ribosomal RNA modification drives transcript-specific translation efficiency"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"given":"Zachory M.","family":"Park","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christina R.","family":"Savage","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9969-7909","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amanda R.","family":"Decker-Farrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chin-Hsien","family":"Tai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tapan K.","family":"Maity","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Weiming","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lisa M.","family":"Jenkins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kumaran S.","family":"Ramamurthi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2024.10.035"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2023.0393"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0092-8674(00)00084-2"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/35030006"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1060089"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.00058-25"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abb0993"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2017.05.022"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molcel.2017.05.021"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.celrep.2018.08.093"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2009607117"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgen.1008837"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biochi.2014.11.019"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/genes12081125"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1261\/rna.1371409"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.ppat.1011968"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nsmb.1408"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1107\/S2053230X14016999"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsb.2012.04.011"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkp1073"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41564-022-01257-y"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.01370-13"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.00243-22"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2019.02520"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/febs.13302"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0092-8674(81)90164-1"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-2836(90)90227-D"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.00210-24"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.00370-22"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgen.1011633"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2314437121"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkaf1420"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1758-2229.12130"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1574-6976.2011.00310.x"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-micro-090816-093558"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mmbr.00080-22"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/microbiolspec.TBS-0023-2016"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.174.2.575-585.1992"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molcel.2008.05.030"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.65845"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1574-6968.12452"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1210554110"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1907397116"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-micro-041522-103140"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2021.12.021"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2414737121"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2015.08.009"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tim.2017.03.005"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.183.5.1645-1654.2001"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pmic.200400997"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2958.2004.04023.x"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-020-2638-5"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-024-08308-w"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.169.3943.392"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1101\/2025.09.22.676666"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41580-024-00748-6"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10409230590918702"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2025.169059"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2025.169045"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-micro-091014-104306"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tibs.2022.08.009"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbagrm.2022.194871"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2004.11.042"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkaa129"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.RA119.012127"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0147-619X(84)90061-1"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cels.2016.12.013"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2958.2012.08052.x"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.69","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2958.2006.05468.x"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.70","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mBio.00257-11"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.71","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-0716-3491-2_17"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.72","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/bj1130029"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.73","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.adq0791"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.74","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-024-55196-9"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.75","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkg595"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.76","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1385\/0-89603-276-0:267"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.77","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1748-7188-6-26"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.78","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkae957"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.79","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1101\/gr.266932.120"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.80","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkae241"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.81","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/btp033"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.82","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0147-619X(84)90061-1"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.83","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.181.3.781-790.1999"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.84","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2015.08.009"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.85","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molcel.2008.05.030"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.86","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1210554110"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.87","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2021.12.021"},{"key":"2026042402350847000_2026.04.20.719615v1.88","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2958.2012.08052.x"}],"container-title":[],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.64898\/2026.04.20.719615","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T09:35:15Z","timestamp":1777023315000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/biorxiv.org\/lookup\/doi\/10.64898\/2026.04.20.719615"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"references-count":88,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.04.20.719615","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"subtype":"preprint"}}