Naturally occurring antisense RNAs are small, diffusible, untranslated transcripts that
pair to target RNAs at specific regions of complementarity to control their biological
function by regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. This review
focuses on known cases of antisense RNA control in prokaryotes and provides an
overview of some natural RNA-based mechanisms that bacteria use to modulate
gene expression, such as mRNA sensors, riboswitches and antisense RNAs. We also
highlight recent advances in RNA-based technology. The review shows that studies
on both natural and synthetic systems are reciprocally beneficial
