Synthetic riboregulators - an alternative means to control gene expression

During the last years, the important role RNA plays for regulating gene expression in all organisms has become obvious. Consequently, several recent approaches aim to utilize the outstanding chemical properties of RNA in developing artificial RNA regulators for conditional gene expression systems. Rational design, in vitro selection and in vivo screening systems have been combined to create a versatile set of RNA based molecular switches. These tools rely on diverse mechanisms and exhibit activity in several organisms. In this review, we summarize recent developments in the application of synthetic riboswitches for gene regulation in vivo