RNA target profiles direct the discovery of virulence functions for the cold-shock proteins CspC and CspE

Significance Interactions between RNA and protein molecules are critical for many cellular processes. Bacterial cells rely on RNA–protein interactions to regulate gene expression in response to an ever-changing environment. To understand such regulation, it is key to identify the processes controlled by RNA-binding proteins. In this study, we have taken a RNA ligand-centered approach to chart the physiological processes controlled by a class of RNA-binding proteins harboring the highly conserved cold-shock domain. This approach revealed cold-shock proteins CspC and CspE to be critical for the stress response and virulence in the enterobacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, emphasizing RNA-binding proteins as major players in bacterial infection.