Genome-wide identification of Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 small RNAs responsive to nitrogen starvation and likely involvement in plant-microbe interactions

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are non-coding RNAs known to regulate various biological functions such as
stress adaptation, metabolism, virulence as well as pathogenicity across a wide range of bacteria, mainly by
controlling mRNA stabilization or regulating translation. Identification and functional characterization of sRNAs has
been carried out in various plant growth-promoting bacteria and they have been shown to help the cells cope up
with environmental stress. No study has been carried out to uncover these regulatory molecules in the diazotrophic
alpha-proteobacterium Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 to date.