Demonstrate - Fluorescence Polarization

We set out to determine whether or not protein Hfq is required for sRNA-mRNA hybridization in Staphylococcus aureus. Our FP assay results suggest that Hfq does not bind to the sRNA binding region we synthesized based on results from the literature, and therefore does not effect sRNA-mRNA hybridization in Staphylococcus aureus. When the protein concentration was then increased 100 fold and tested with only the AUAUAUA oligo reported in the literature to bind strongly to Hfq, with no significant difference between wells without protein. Therefore, we concluded that sRNA mediated gene silencing is possible in Staphylococcus species without the inclusion of Hfq on the vector delivered to target cells.