Show Notes
This release contains only the music track from Base by Base Episode 384.
Song title: CisR on the Switch
Original Base by Base episode: 384: RNA Brake on Cholera Phage: CisR Controls CTXϕ
Article metadata:
Article title: A 3’UTR-derived small RNA modulates the life cycle of the cholera toxin–encoding filamentous phage, CTXϕ
Journal: PNAS
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2535142123
Reference: Haycocks JRJ, O’Driscoll E, Sprenger M, Thriene K, Jung E-M, Siemers M, Lippegaus A, Krautwurst S, Grainger DC, Papenfort K. A 3’UTR-derived small RNA modulates the life cycle of the cholera toxin–encoding filamentous phage, CTXϕ. PNAS. 2026;123(23):e2535142123. doi:10.1073/pnas.2535142123
Lyrics:
Verse 1
In the glow of lab-screen midnight, a whisper splits from the tail,
A small-cut message from the afterword, riding a ribonuclease trail.
It finds a waiting chaperone, it learns a lock-and-key,
And hovers near the start of fire, where proteins want to be.
Pre-Chorus
When the crowd gets louder, when the carbon signs turn bright,
Two sentries lift a signal up to keep the timing right.
A hidden line becomes a lever, gentle but precise,
And stops the spark from catching fast with one clean slice of ice.
Chorus
CisR on the switch, on the edge of the start,
Hands on the ribosome door, keeping toxins apart.
Hold the coat, slow the tide, let the storm lose its grip,
One small RNA can change the whole trip.
Verse 2
A filament wants a highway, a coat wants to rise,
But base-paired in the doorway, the invitation dies.
Less Cep in the darkened lane, fewer threads released,
And what could spread like wildfire turns to embers, then to peace.
Bridge
Not a siren—more a checkpoint where the busy signals meet,
Quorum voices in the airwaves, hunger tapping out a beat.
Between the cell and what escapes, a quiet rule is drawn:
Translate a little slower now, and see the danger gone.
Final Chorus
CisR on the switch, on the edge of the start,
Hands on the ribosome door, keeping toxins apart.
Hold the coat, slow the tide, let the storm lose its grip,
One small RNA can change the whole trip.
