Small, non-coding RNA molecules play important regulatory roles in a variety of physiological processes in bacteria. SgrR_N is the N-terminus of a family of proteins which regulate the transcription of these sRNAs, in particular SgrS. SgrR_N contains a helix-turn-helix motif characteristic of winged-helix DNA-binding transcriptional regulators. SgrS is a small RNA required for recovery from glucose-phosphate stress in bacteria [1]. In examining the regulation of sgrR expression it was found that SgrR negatively auto-regulates its own transcription in the presence and absence of stress, and thus SgrR coordinates the response to glucose-phosphate stress by binding specifically to sgrS promoter DNA [2].

1: Involvement of a novel transcriptional activator and small RNA in post-transcriptional regulation of the glucose phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system. Vanderpool CK, Gottesman S; Mol Microbiol. 2004;54:1076-1089. PMID:15522088

2: The novel transcription factor SgrR coordinates the response to glucose-phosphate stress. Vanderpool CK, Gottesman S; J Bacteriol. 2007;189:2238-2248. PMID:17209026