sncRNA-1 Is a Small Noncoding RNA Produced by <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> in Infected Cells That Positively Regulates Genes Coupled to Oleic Acid Biosynthesis

Nearly one third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ). While much work has focused on the role of different Mtb encoded proteins in pathogenesis, recent studies have revealed that Mtb also transcribes many noncoding RNAs whose functions remain poorly characterized. We performed RNA sequencing and identified a subset of Mtb H37Rv-encoded small RNAs ( Mtb growth and survival in nutrient-depleted cultures as well as in infected macrophages. Overall, the findings reveal that Mtb produces sncRNAs in infected cells, with sncRNA-1 modulating mycobacterial gene expression including genes coupled to oleic acid biogenesis.