title: Hfq: the flexible RNA matchmaker.
abstract: The RNA chaperone protein Hfq is critical to the function of small, base pairing RNAs in many bacteria. In the past few years, structures and modeling of wild type Hfq and assays of various mutants have documented that the homohexameric Hfq ring can contact RNA at four sites (proximal face, distal face, rim and C-terminal tail) and that different RNAs bind to these sites in various configurations. These studies together with novel in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches are beginning to give mechanistic insights into how Hfq acts to promote small RNA-mRNA pairing and indicate that flexibility is integral to the Hfq role in RNA matchmaking.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, 18 Library Dr MSC 5430, Bethesda, MD 20892-5430, USA.
authors.forename: Taylor B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Updegrove
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, 18 Library Dr MSC 5430, Bethesda, MD 20892-5430, USA.
authors.forename: Aixia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, 18 Library Dr MSC 5430, Bethesda, MD 20892-5430, USA. Electronic address: storzg@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Storz
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020029:Base Pairing; D035001:Host Factor 1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D035001:Host Factor 1 Protein; D012329:RNA, Bacterial