Artificial small RNA-mediated growth inhibition in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

We developed a synthetic RNA approach to identify growth inhibition sequences by cloning random 24-nucleotide (nt) sequences into an arabinose-inducible expression vector. This vector expressed a small RNA (sRNA) of ∼140 nt containing a 24 nt random sequence insert. After transforming Escherichia coli with the vector, 10 out of 954 transformants showed strong growth defect phenotypes and two clones caused cell lysis. We then examined growth inhibition phenotypes in the Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 strain using the twelve sRNAs that exerted an inhibitory effect on E. coli growth. Three of these clones showed strong growth inhibition phenotypes in S. Typhimurium LT2. The most effective sRNA contained the same insert (N1) in both bacteria. The 24 nt random sequence insert of N1 was abundant in guanine residues (ten out of 24 nt), and other random sequences causing growth defects were also highly enriched for guanine (G) nucleotides. We, therefore, generated clones that express sRNAs containing a stretch of 16 to 24 continuous guanine sequences (poly-G16, -G18, -G20, -G22, and -G24). All of these clones induced growth inhibition in both liquid and agar plate media and the poly-G20 clone showed the strongest effect in E. coli. These results demonstrate that our sRNA expression system can be used to identify nucleotide sequences that are potential candidates for oligonucleotide antimicrobial drugs. •Inducible sRNA expression vector was developed for screening growth defect clones.•Artificial guanine-rich sRNAs cause growth inhibition in E. coli and Salmonella.•Polyguanine (poly-G20)-containing sRNA exerts strong growth inhibition in E. coli.