Biology Commons^™

Micrornas Contribute To The Host Response To Coxiella Burnetii, Madhur Sachan, Katelynn Brann, Daniel E. Voth, Rahul Raghavan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, are critical to gene regulation in eukaryotes. They are involved in modulating a variety of physiological processes, including the host response to intracellular infections. Little is known about miRNA functions during infection by Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of human Q fever. This bacterial pathogen establishes a large replicative vacuole within macrophages by manipulating host processes such as apoptosis and autophagy. We investigated miRNA expression in C. burnetii-infected macrophages and identified several miRNAs that were down- or up-regulated during infection. We further explored the functions of miR-143-3p, an miRNA whose …

Global Patterns Of Diversity And Metabolism Of Microbial Communities In Deep‑Sea Hydrothermal Vent Deposits, Zhichao Zhou, Emily St. John, Karthik Anantharaman, Anna-Louise Reysenbach

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

When deep-sea hydrothermal fluids mix with cold oxygenated fluids, minerals precipitate out of solution and form hydrothermal deposits. These actively venting deep-sea hydrothermal deposits support a rich diversity of thermophilic microorganisms which are involved in a range of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and hydrogen metabolisms. Global patterns of thermophilic microbial diversity in deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems have illustrated the strong connectivity between geological processes and microbial colonization, but little is known about the genomic diversity and physiological potential of these novel taxa. Here we explore this genomic diversity in 42 metagenomes from four deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields and a deep-sea volcano collected …

Cruise, A Tool For The Detection Of Iterons In Circular Rep-Encoding Single-Stranded Dna Viruses, Adam Jones, George W. Kasun, Joel Stover, Kenneth M. Stedman, Ignacio De La Higuera

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Iterons are short, repeated DNA sequences that are important for the replication of circular single-stranded DNA viruses. No tools that can reliably predict iterons are currently available. The CRUcivirus Iteron SEarch (CRUISE) tool is a computational tool that identifies iteron candidates near stem-loop structures in viral genomes.

Riqueza, Abundancia Relativa Y Actividad De Los Mamíferos De Una Reserva En Restauración En Costa Rica, Pablo Pacheco, Lucia López, Alison Vega Cambronero, José Manuel Mora

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

“Richness, relative abundance and activity of medium and large mammals of a reserve under restoration in Costa Rica”. Introduction: Private protected areas are a valuable complement to national systems of protected areas. The Sierra Zapote Reserve in Abangares, Costa Rica, established in 2000, protects 70 ha of advanced secondary forest, regenerating secondary forest and primary riparian forest. It is expected to favor faunal communities, like medium and large mammals, which are among the species most threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation; nevertheless; there is a lack of recent faunal assessments at Sierra Zapote. Objective: To assess the richness, relative abundance …

Conflictos Entre Humanos Y Fauna Silvestre En Una Zona De Amortiguamiento De San Ramón, Costa Rica, Rebeca Solano-Gómez, José Manuel Mora

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

“Human-wildlife conflict in a buffer zone in San Ramón, Costa Rica”. Introduction: Currently, biodiversity is mainly managed by protected areas, but proximity with human activities results in conflicts, which are poorly studied in the tropics. Objective: To estimate human-wildlife conflict in the buffer zone of the Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve, San Ramón, Costa Rica. Methods: We interviewed the owners or managers of 59 farms. Results: We recorded 540 incidents, mostly with mammals (N=479); coyotes (Canis latrans) killed 1 074 animals in 183 attacks at 12 farms. We also recorded conflicts with jaguar, Panthera onca, puma, Puma concolor, ocelot, Leopardus …

Weather And Climate Change Drive Annual Variation Of Reproduction By An Aerial Insectivore, Michael T. Murphy, Lucas J. Redmond, Amy C. Dolan, Nathan W. Cooper, Karen Shepherdson, Christopher Michael Chutter, Sarah Cancellieri

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

For many bird species, but especially aerial insectivores, reproduction depends on weather. Climate change is likely to intensify effects, but with uncertain consequences. We report 22 years of data on Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) reproduction for two populations located in different hygric environments undergoing climate change; mesic central New York, USA, (NY; 12 years) and xeric southeastern Oregon, USA, (OR: 10 years). Laying date became earlier with increasing temperature in the 30-day period preceding laying in identical fashion at both sites, and in years of early laying, clutch size was larger, length of laying season increased, and failed …

Viruses In Astrobiology, Ignacio De La Higuera, Ester Lázaro

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, and yet, they have not received enough consideration in astrobiology. Viruses are also extraordinarily diverse, which is evident in the types of relationships they establish with their host, their strategies to store and replicate their genetic information and the enormous diversity of genes they contain. A viral population, especially if it corresponds to a virus with an RNA genome, can contain an array of sequence variants that greatly exceeds what is present in most cell populations. The fact that viruses always need cellular resources to multiply means that they establish very …

Enriched Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids Induce Trained Immunity Via Ceramide Production That Enhances Severity Of Endotoxemia And Clearance Of Infection, Amy L. Seufert, James W. Hickman, Ste K. Traxler, Rachael M. Peterson, Trent A. Waugh, Sydney L. Lashley, Natalia Shulzhenko, Ruth J. Napier, Brooke A. Napier

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trained immunity is an innate immune memory response that is induced by a primary inflammatory stimulus that sensitizes monocytes and macrophages to a secondary pathogenic challenge, reprogramming the host response to infection and inflammatory disease. Dietary fatty acids can act as inflammatory stimuli, but it is unknown if they can act as the primary stimuli to induce trained immunity. Here we find mice fed a diet enriched exclusively in saturated fatty acids (ketogenic diet; KD) confer a hyper-inflammatory response to systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and increased mortality, independent of diet-induced microbiome and hyperglycemia. We find KD alters the composition of the …

Stable Coexistence Or Competitive Exclusion? Fern Endophytes Demonstrate Rapid Turnover Favoring A Dominant Fungus, Brett Steven Younginger, Nathan U. Stewart, Mehmet Ali Balkan, Daniel J. Ballhorn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fungal endophytes are critical members of the plant microbiome, but their community dynamics throughout an entire growing season are underexplored. Additionally, most fungal endophyte research has centred on seed-reproducing hosts, while spore-reproducing plants also host endophytes and may be colonized by unique community members. In order to examine annual fungal endophyte community dynamics in a spore-reproducing host, we explored endophytes in a single population of ferns, Polystichum munitum, in the Pacific Northwest. Through metabarcoding, we characterized the community assembly and temporal turnover of foliar endophytes throughout a growing season. From these results, we selected endophytes with outsized representations in …

Not The Same Cure: Student Experiences In Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Vary By Graduate Teaching Assistant, Emma C. Goodwin, Jessica R. Cary, Erin E. Shortlidge

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

To expose all undergraduate science students to the benefits of participating in research, many universities are integrating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into their introductory biology laboratory curriculum. At large institutions, the bulk of introductory labs are instructed by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Graduate students, who are often teachers and researchers in training, may vary in their capacity to effectively teach undergraduates via the CURE model. To explore variation in GTA teaching and the subsequent outcomes for students, we used a case study research design at one institution where introductory biology students participate in GTA-taught CURE lab sections. We used …

Development Of The Seqcode: A Proposed Nomenclatural Code For Uncultivated Prokaryotes With Dna Sequences As Type, William Whitman, Maria Chuvochina, Brian P. Hedlund, Philip Hugenholtz, Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis, Alison E. Murray, Marike Palmer, Donovan H. Parks, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the last fifteen years, genomics has become fully integrated into prokaryotic systematics. The genomes of most type strains have been sequenced, genome sequence similarity is widely used for delineation of species, and phylogenomic methods are commonly used for classification of higher taxonomic ranks. Additionally, environmental genomics has revealed a vast diversity of as-yet-uncultivated taxa. In response to these developments, a new code of nomenclature, the Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode), has been developed over the last two years to allow naming of Archaea and Bacteria using DNA sequences as the nomenclatural types. The …

Seqcode: A Nomenclatural Code For Prokaryotes Described From Sequence Data, Brian P. Hedlund, Maria Chuvochina, Philip Hugenholtz, Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis, Alison E. Murray, Marike Palmer, Donovan H. Parks, Alexander J. Probst, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most prokaryotes are not available as pure cultures and therefore ineligible for naming under the rules and recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP). Here we summarize the development of the SeqCode, a code of nomenclature under which genome sequences serve as nomenclatural types. This code enables valid publication of names of prokaryotes based upon isolate genome, metagenome-assembled genome or single-amplified genome sequences. Otherwise, it is similar to the ICNP with regard to the formation of names and rules of priority. It operates through the SeqCode Registry (https://seqco.de/), a registration portal through which names and …

C3ar Plays Both Sides In Regulating Resistance To Bacterial Infections, Jesse A. Corcoran, Brooke A. Napier

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Activation of the complement pathway results in the production of bioactive C3a, a product of C3 cleavage, which interacts with membrane-bound receptor C3aR to regulate innate immune cell function and outcome of bacterial infection. Specifically, previous research has identified mechanistically distinct and cell type–specific roles for C3aR in regulating innate immune cell inflammatory state, antimicrobial killing capacity, and metabolism. Historically, the production of C3a has been relegated to the serum; however, recent studies have provided evidence that various cell types can produce intracellular C3a that stimulates intracellular C3aR. In light of these new results, it is imperative that we revisit …

An Essential Role For Tungsten In The Ecology And Evolution Of A Previously Uncultivated Lineage Of Anaerobic, Thermophilic Archaea, Steffen Buessecker, Marike Palmer, Dengxun Lai, Joshua Dimapilis, Xavier Mayali, Damon Mosier, Jian-Yu Jiao, Daniel R. Colman, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trace metals have been an important ingredient for life throughout Earth’s history. Here, we describe the genome-guided cultivation of a member of the elusive archaeal lineage Caldarchaeales (syn. Aigarchaeota), Wolframiiraptor gerlachensis, and its growth dependence on tungsten. A metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) of W. gerlachensis encodes putative tungsten membrane transport systems, as well as pathways for anaerobic oxidation of sugars probably mediated by tungsten-dependent ferredoxin oxidoreductases that are expressed during growth. Catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in-situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) show that W. gerlachensis preferentially assimilates xylose. Phylogenetic analyses of 78 high-quality Wolframiiraptoraceae MAGs from …

Fitness Effects Of Somatic Mutations Accumulating During Vegetative Growth, Mitchell Cruzan, Matthew A. Streisfeld, Jaime A. Schwoch

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The unique life form of plants promotes the accumulation of somatic mutations that can be passed to offspring in the next generation, because the same meristem cells responsible for vegetative growth also generate gametes for sexual reproduction. However, little is known about the consequences of somatic mutation accumulation for offspring fitness. We evaluate the fitness effects of somatic mutations in Mimulus guttatus by comparing progeny from self-pollinations made within the same flower (autogamy) to progeny from self-pollinations made between stems on the same plant (geitonogamy). The effects of somatic mutations are evident from this comparison, as autogamy leads to homozygosity …

Terrestrial Movements, Activity Patterns And Habitat Use By Kinosternon Scorpioides (Testudines: Kinosternidae) In Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica, Jose M. Mora, Franklin E. Castaneda

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Scorpion Mud turtle, Kinosternon scorpioides, is a widely distributed, semiaquatic species known to engage in regular terrestrial movement and terrestrial estivation. We studied terrestrial behavior in this species in Palo Verde National Park, northwestern Costa Rica. We determined terrestrial activity patterns by searching for active individuals during transects along 3.4 km of trails. We determined the distance that turtles traveled between the wetlands and estivation sites by fitting 10 terrestrially active individuals with a thread-bobbin tracking device attached to the rear of the carapace. We identified sex and marked and measured every turtle found active. We accumulated 92 observations …

Cetacean Strandings In The Us Pacific Northwest 2000–2019 Reveal Potential Linkages To Oceanographic Variability, Amanda J. Warlick, Jessica L. Huggins, Dyanna M. Lambourn, Deborah A. Duffield, Dalin Nichole D'Alessandro, James M. Rice, John Calambokidis, M. Bradley Hanson, Joseph K. Gaydos, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studying patterns in marine mammal stranding cases can provide insight into changes in population health, abundance, and distribution. Cetaceans along the United States West coast strand for a wide variety of reasons, including disease, injury, and poor nutritional status, all of which may be caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Examining the potential drivers of these stranding cases can reveal how populations respond to changes in their habitat, notably oceanographic variability and anthropogenic activities. In this study, we aim to synthesize recent patterns in 1,819 cetacean strandings across 26 species in the Pacific Northwest from 2000 to 2019 to …

Genome-Wide Identification Of Novel Srnas In Streptococcus Mutans, Madeline Claire Krieger, Justin Merritt, Rahul Raghavan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Streptococcus mutans is a major pathobiont involved in the development of dental caries. Its ability to utilize numerous sugars and to effectively respond to environmental stress promotes S. mutans proliferation in oral biofilms. Because of their quick action and low energetic cost, non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) represent an ideal mode of gene regulation in stress response networks, yet their roles in oral pathogens have remained largely unexplored. We identified 15 novel sRNAs in S. mutans and show that they respond to four stress-inducing conditions commonly encountered by the pathogen in human mouth: sugar-phosphate stress, hydrogen peroxide exposure, high temperature, and …

Mitonuclear Mismatch Is Associated With Increased Male Frequency, Outcrossing, And Male Sperm Size In Experimentally-Evolved C. Elegans, Brent W. Bever, Zachary P. Dietz, Jennifer Anne Sullins, Ariana M. Montoya, Ulfar Bergthorsson, Vaishali Katju, Suzanne Estes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We provide a partial test of themitonuclear sex hypothesiswith the first controlled study of how male frequencies and rates of outcrossing evolve in response to mitonuclear mismatch by allowing replicate lineages of C. elegans nematodes containing either mitochondrial or nuclear mutations of electron transport chain (ETC) genes to evolve under three sexual systems: facultatively outcrossing (wildtype), obligately selfing, and obligately outcrossing. Among facultatively outcrossing lines, we found evolution of increased male frequency in at least one replicate line of all four ETC mutant backgrounds tested—nuclear isp-1, mitochondrial cox-1 and ctb-1, and an isp-1 IV; ctb-1M mitonuclear double mutant—and confirmed for …

Recombination Mediator Proteins: Misnomers That Are Key To Understanding The Genomic Instabilities In Cancer, Justin Courcelle, Travis K. Worley, Charmain Courcelle

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recombination mediator proteins have come into focus as promising targets for cancer therapy, with synthetic lethal approaches now clinically validated by the efficacy of PARP inhibitors in treating BRCA2 cancers and RECQ inhibitors in treating cancers with microsatellite instabilities. Thus, understanding the cellular role of recombination mediators is critically important, both to improve current therapies and develop new ones that target these pathways. Our mechanistic understanding of BRCA2 and RECQ began in . Here, we review the cellular roles of RecF and RecQ, often considered functional homologs of these proteins in bacteria. Although these proteins were originally isolated as genes …

Diversity, Biology, And History Of Psilocybin-Containing Fungi: Suggestions For Research And Technological Development, R. C. Van Court, K. W. Meyer, M. S. Wiseman, Daniel J. Ballhorn, K. R. Amses, J. C. Slot, B.T. M. Dentinger, R. Garibay-Orijel, J. K. Uehling

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Therapeutic use of psilocybin has become a focus of recent international research, with preliminary data showing promise to address a range of treatment-resistant mental health conditions. However, use of psilocybin as a healing entheogen has a long history through traditional consumption of mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe. The forthcoming adoption of new psilocybin-assisted therapeutic practices necessitates identification of preferred sources of psilocybin; consequently, comprehensive understanding of psilocybin-containing fungi is fundamental to consumer safety. Here we examine psilocybin producing fungi, discuss their biology, diversity, and ethnomycological uses. We also review recent work focused on elucidation of psilocybin biosynthetic production pathways, especially …

New Opportunities And Untapped Scientific Potential In The Abyssal Ocean, Jeffrey J. Marlowe, Rika E. Anderson, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Jeffrey S. Seewald, Timothy M. Shank, Andreas P. Teske, V. Dorsey Wanless, S. Adam Soule

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The abyssal ocean covers more than half of the Earth’s surface, yet remains understudied and underappreciated. In this Perspectives article, we mark the occasion of the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin’s increased depth range (from 4500 to 6500 m) to highlight the scientific potential of the abyssal seafloor. From a geologic perspective, ultra-slow spreading mid-ocean ridges, Petit Spot volcanism, transform faults, and subduction zones put the full life cycle of oceanic crust on display in the abyss, revealing constructive and destructive forces over wide ranges in time and space. Geochemically, the abyssal pressure regime influences the solubility of constituents such as …

Culturable Fungal Endophyte Communities Of Primary Successional Plants On Mount St. Helens, Wa, Usa, Emily R. Wolfe, Robyn Dove, Cassandra Webster, Daniel J. Ballhorn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: While a considerable amount of research has explored plant community composition in primary successional systems, little is known about the microbial communities inhabiting these pioneer plant species. Fungal endophytes are ubiquitous within plants, and may play major roles in early successional ecosystems. Specifically, endophytes have been shown to affect successional processes, as well as alter host stress tolerance and litter decomposition dynamics—both of which are important components in harsh environments where soil organic matter is still scarce.

Results: To determine possible contributions of fungal endophytes to plant colonization patterns, we surveyed six of the most common woody …

Species-Specific Interactions In Avian–Bryophyte Dispersal Networks, Matthew Chmielewski, Sarah Eppley

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies from seed plants have shown that animal dispersal fundamentally alters the success of plant dispersal, shaping community composition through time. Our understanding of this phenomenon in spore plants is comparatively limited. Though little is known about species-specific dispersal relationships between passerine birds and bryophytes, birds are particularly attractive as a potential bryophyte dispersal vector given their highly vagile nature as well as their association with bryophytes when foraging and building nests. We captured birds in Gifford Pinchot National Forest to sample their legs and tails for bryophyte propagules. We found 24 bryophyte species across 34 bird species. We examined …

Phylogenetics And Genetic Variation Of Heligmosomoides Thomomyos In Western Pocket Gophers (Thomomys Spp.), Malorri R. Hughes, Alexandra A. Gibson, Emily R. Wolfe, Cecily D. Bronson, Deborah A. Duffield

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The host specificities and systematics of North American Heligmosomoides species remain particularly uncertain. The primary aim of this study was to verify that a species described previously based only on morphology, H. thomomyos, from pocket gopher (Rodentia: Geomyidae) hosts in Oregon represented a monophyletic lineage. In order to address this aspect, as well as to further understand relationships and geographic patterns, we carried out phylogenetic, genetic diversity, and population dynamic analyses using partial 18S rRNA and COI mtDNA sequences of Heligmosomoides specimens. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that there are likely multiple Heligmosomoides species present in these hosts. This was supported by …

Applying Behavioral And Physiological Measures To Assess The Relative Impact Of The Prolonged Covid-19 Pandemic Closure On Two Mammal Species At The Oregon Zoo: Cheetah (A. Jubatus) And Giraffe (G. C. Reticulata And G. C. Tippelskirchii), Laurel Fink, Candace D. Scarlata, Becca Vanbeek, Todd Bodner, Nadja C. Wielebnowski

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effect of visitor presence on zoo animals has been explored in numerous studies over the past two decades. However, the opportunities for observations without visitors have been very limited at most institutions. In 2020, the Oregon Zoo was closed, in response to the global SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, from 15 March 2020 to 12 July 2020, resulting in approximately four consecutive months without visitor presence. This study aimed to quantify potential behavioral and hormonal changes expressed during two transition periods in zoo visitor attendance: the initial time period before and after closure in March 2020 and time before and after …

A Resource For Understanding And Evaluating Outcomes Of Undergraduate Field Experiences, Erin E. Shortlidge, Alison Jolley, Stephanie Shaulskiy, Emily Geraghty Ward, Christopher N. Lorentz, Kari O'Connell

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs) are a prominent element of science education across many disciplines; however, empirical data regarding the outcomes are often limited. UFEs are unique in that they typically take place in a field setting, are often interdisciplinary, and include diverse students. UFEs range from courses, to field trips, to residential research experiences, and thereby have the potential to yield a plethora of outcomes for undergraduate participants. The UFE community has expressed interest in better understanding how to assess the outcomes of UFEs. In response, we developed a guide for practitioners to use when assessing their UFE that promotes …

Pelagic Tunicate Grazing On Marine Microbes Revealed By Integrative Approaches, Kelly R. Sutherland, Anne W. Thompson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Marine microorganisms comprise a large fraction of ocean carbon and are central players in global biogeochemical cycling. Significant gaps remain, however, in our understanding of processes that determine the fate, distribution, and community structure of microbial communities. Protists and viruses are accepted as being part of the microbial loop and a source of microbial mortality. However, pelagic tunicates (salps, doliolods, pyrosomes, and appendicularians), which are abundant in oceanic and coastal environments and consume microorganisms with higher individual grazing rates than other common grazers, remain underappreciated in their role controlling microbial communities, distributions, and flux through ecosystems. In spite of sampling …

Weak Coupling Among Barrier Loci And Waves Of Neutral And Adaptive Introgression Across An Expanding Hybrid Zone, Mitchell Cruzan, Pamela G. Thompson, Nicolas Alexander Diaz, Elizabeth C. Hendrickson, Katie R. Gerloff, Katie A. Kline, Hannah M. Machiorlete, Jessica Persinger

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hybridization can serve as an evolutionary stimulus, but we have little understanding of introgression at early stages of hybrid zone formation. We analyze reproductive isolation and introgression between a range-limited and a widespread species. Reproductive barriers are estimated based on differences in flowering time, ecogeographic distributions, and seed set from crosses. We find an asymmetrical mating barrier due to cytonuclear incompatibility that is consistent with observed clusters of coincident and concordant tension zone clines (barrier loci) for mtDNA haplotypes and nuclear SNPs. These groups of concordant clines are spread across the hybrid zone, resulting in weak coupling among barrier loci …

A Small Rna Is Functional In Escherichia Fergusonii Despite Containing A Large Insertion., Austin P. Wright, H. Auguste Dutcher, Brianna Butler, Timothy J. Nice, Rahul Raghavan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression; however, the impact of natural mutations on sRNA functions has not been studied extensively. Here we show that the sRNA MgrR contains a unique 53 bp insertion in Escherichia fergusonii, a close relative of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. The insertion is a repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) sequence that could block transcription, but full-length MgrR is produced in E. fergusonii, showing that the insertion has not affected sRNA production. Additionally, despite containing the large insertion, the sRNA appears to be functional because deletion of mgrR made E. fergusonii …