
Magnesium responsive RNA element

The Magnesium responsive RNA element, not to be confused with the completely distinct M-box riboswitch, is a cis-regulatory element that regulates the expression of the magnesium transporter protein MgtA. It is located in the 5' UTR of this gene. The mechanism for the potential magnesium-sensing capacity of this RNA is still unclear, though a recent report suggests that the RNA element targets the mgtA transcript for degradation by RNase E when cells are grown in high Mg2+ environments.