tsRNA-000794 and tsRNA-020498 induced growth inhibition in Fusobacterium
nucleatum. (A) Different concentrations of tsRNA-000794,
tsRNA-020498, tsRNA-016926, tsRNA-018570, piRNA-016792, and piRNA-006465 were added to
F. nucleatum cultures. Cultures were incubated overnight at 37 ºC
under anaerobic condition before OD600 was measured. The growth inhibition
is expressed as percentage of absorbance to that of the negative control (no addition
of tRF). (B) tsRNA-000794 and tsRNA-020498 were pretreated with RNase A
before being added to the F. nucleatum culture, and impact on
bacterial growth was similarly monitored. tsRNA-000794 (100 µM), tsRNA-020498 (100
µM), piRNA-016792 (100 μM), or scrambled control RNA (100 μM) was added to F.
nucleatum (C) and Streptococcus mitis
(D), and the growth curves were measured. Assays were performed in
triplicates, and mean ± SEM values are shown. ns, P > 0.05;
*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01;
****P < 0.0001. All the columns without “ns” or stars are
nonsignificant according to statistical tests. piRNA, PIWI-interacting RNA; tsRNA,
transfer RNA–derived small sRNA; tRF, tRNA-derived fragment.