Figure 3, Key Figure.

Regulation mechanisms of the RNA degradosomes. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and may act in concert to adjust the activity of the RNA degradosome. There are five major classes of regulation (a) the components of the RNA degradosome are often autoregulated, and sometimes they also regulate the expression of each other, (b) the partners of the RNA degradosome are susceptible to post-translational modifications, often as a result of a phage infection causing phage RNA to be protected from degradation, (c) different proteins can bind the core RNA degradosome and regulate its activity, including some cellular proteins, ribosomal proteins, as well as dedicated bacterial or viral inhibitors, (d) the central RNases of some degradosomes are compartmentalized within the cell in the form of foci, and (e) the components of the RNA degradosome are often targeted to the bacterial membrane, forming foci or not.