GltS RNA motif

The gltS RNA motif is a conserved RNA structure that was discovered by bioinformatics. gltS motifs are found in the bacterial lineage Vibrionaceae.

gltS motif RNAs likely function as cis-regulatory elements, in view of their positions upstream of protein-coding genes. These presumably regulated genes encode subunits of glutamate synthase or a related enzyme (the exact specificity of the enzyme is uncertain). A glutamine riboswitch was discovered that is often located upstream of glutamate synthase genes, but is also present upstream of other genes, such as those encoding glutamine synthetase and ammonium transporters.