Bacteroid trp RNA motif

The Bacteroid-trp RNA motif is a conserved RNA element detected by bioinformatics. It is found in the phylum Bacteroidetes in the apparent 5' untranslated regions of genes that encode enzymes used in the synthesis of the amino acid tryptophan. A short open reading frame is found within the motif that encodes at least two tryptophan codons. Similar motifs have been identified regulating tryptophan genes in proteobacteria (see trp operon), but not in Bacteroidetes. However, the Bacteroid-trp RNA motif likely operates via the same machanism of attenuation.