FIGURE 5.
Diagram depicting the regulation of cold shock genes during the cold shock. At 37°C (top), the mRNA leaders adopt OFF conformations that favor RDTT and disfavor translation, inhibiting expression of the cold shock proteins (csp). Temperature-dependent restructuring of the mRNA leaders upon cold shock (middle) has an opposite effect, masking the Rut sites and unmasking the RBSs, to allow csp expression. During cold acclimation (bottom), the concentrations of csp proteins increase until they become sufficient for the csp proteins to bind their mRNA leaders and promote their restructuring into OFF conformations favoring RDTT and disfavoring translation.
