Functional effects of variants of the RNA chaperone Hfq

The ring-shaped RNA chaperone Hfq has recently received Much attention owing to its multiple roles in RNA metabolism. In this study we have performed a Mutational analysis of the Escherichia coli hfq gene, and have studied the effects of amino acid substitutions at several positions in the Hfq protein as well as of C-terminal truncations on its role in phage QP replication, in repression of a target mRNA. and on the stability of the small regulatory RNA DsrA. These functional studies provided insights into the interaction of HFq with RNA and suggested a role for the C-terminus of Hfq in DsrA stability. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.