FinP encodes an antisense non-coding RNA

Non-coding RNA

A non-coding RNA is a functional RNA molecule that is not translated into a protein. Less-frequently used synonyms are non-protein-coding RNA , non-messenger RNA and functional RNA . The term small RNA is often used for short bacterial ncRNAs...

 gene that is complementary to part of the TraJ 5' UTR

TraJ 5' UTR

The traJ 5' UTR is a cis acting RNA element which is involved in regulating plasmid transfer in bacteria.In conjugating bacteria the FinOP system regulates the transfer of F-like plasmids. The FinP gene encodes an antisense RNA product that is complementary to part of the 5' UTR of the traJ mRNA...

. The FinOP system regulates the transfer of F-like plasmids. The traJ gene encodes a protein required for transcription

Transcription (genetics)

Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence of DNA. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes...

from the major transfer promoter, pY. The FinO protein is essential for effective repression, acting by binding to FinP and protecting it from RNase E degradation.