Genetic and molecular characterization of DicF-ftsZ mRNA interactions. Genetic and molecular characterization of DicF-ftsZ mRNA interactions. (A) Base pairing predictions for ftsZ mRNA and DicF. The numbers for ftsZ are relative to the start codon (with A as +1). The numbers for DicF are relative to the 5′ end of dicF. The predicted ftsZ RBS is shown in bold, and the start codon is underlined. The predicted base pairing interactions between ftsZ and DicF are marked by vertical lines, and mutations in dicF and ftsZ are indicated by boxes. All mutations were substitutions, and boxed residues were changed to the complementary nucleotides. Nonpaired nucleotides or gaps are indicated by sequences above or below paired nucleotides. (B) The β-galactosidase activities of the ftsZ′-′lacZ fusion strains ectopically producing DicF, DicF3, or DicF9 were assayed. (C) The β-galactosidase activities of the ftsZ′-′lacZ fusion and the compensatory ftsZcomp23′-′lacZ fusion were assayed upon overexpression of DicF and DicF23. (D) The levels of β-galactosidase activity of the ftsZ′-′lacZ fusion in the wild-type (WT) strain and in the rne131 and hfq mutants were assayed after overexpression of DicF. The specific activities of the fusions were normalized as described for Fig. 2. Divya Balasubramanian et al. mSystems 2016; doi:10.1128/mSystems.00021-15