| Structural highlights
Function
[HFQ_ECOLI] RNA chaperone that binds small regulatory RNA (sRNAs) and mRNAs to facilitate mRNA translational regulation in response to envelope stress, environmental stress and changes in metabolite concentrations. Involved in the regulation of stress responses mediated by the sigma factors RpoS, sigma-E and sigma-32. Binds with high specificity to tRNAs. In vitro, stimulates synthesis of long tails by poly(A) polymerase I. Required for RNA phage Qbeta replication.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Seems to play a role in persister cell formation; upon overexpression decreases persister cell formation while deletion increases persister formation.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Hfq is a small, highly abundant hexameric protein that is found in many bacteria and plays a critical role in mRNA expression and RNA stability. As an "RNA chaperone," Hfq binds AU-rich sequences and facilitates the trans annealing of small RNAs (sRNAs) to their target mRNAs, typically resulting in the down-regulation of gene expression. Hfq also plays a key role in bacterial RNA decay by binding tightly to polyadenylate [poly(A)] tracts. The structural mechanism by which Hfq recognizes and binds poly(A) is unknown. Here, we report the crystal structure of Escherichia coli Hfq bound to the poly(A) RNA, A(15). The structure reveals a unique RNA binding mechanism. Unlike uridine-containing sequences, which bind to the "proximal" face, the poly(A) tract binds to the "distal" face of Hfq using 6 tripartite binding motifs. Each motif consists of an adenosine specificity site (A site), which is effected by peptide backbone hydrogen bonds, a purine nucleotide selectivity site (R site), and a sequence-nondiscriminating RNA entrance/exit site (E site). The resulting implication that Hfq can bind poly(A-R-N) triplets, where R is a purine nucleotide and N is any nucleotide, was confirmed by binding studies. Indeed, Hfq bound to the oligoribonucleotides (AGG)(8), (AGC)(8), and the shorter (A-R-N)(4) sequence, AACAACAAGAAG, with nanomolar affinities. The abundance of (A-R-N)(4) and (A-R-N)(5) triplet repeats in the E. coli genome suggests additional RNA targets for Hfq. Further, the structure provides insight into Hfq-mediated sRNA-mRNA annealing and the role of Hfq in RNA decay.
Structure of Escherichia coli Hfq bound to polyriboadenylate RNA.,Link TM, Valentin-Hansen P, Brennan RG Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Nov 4. PMID:19889981[11]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Carmichael GG, Weber K, Niveleau A, Wahba AJ. The host factor required for RNA phage Qbeta RNA replication in vitro. Intracellular location, quantitation, and purification by polyadenylate-cellulose chromatography. J Biol Chem. 1975 May 25;250(10):3607-612. PMID:805130
- ↑ Hajnsdorf E, Regnier P. Host factor Hfq of Escherichia coli stimulates elongation of poly(A) tails by poly(A) polymerase I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Feb 15;97(4):1501-5. PMID:10677490 doi:10.1073/pnas.040549897
- ↑ Sledjeski DD, Whitman C, Zhang A. Hfq is necessary for regulation by the untranslated RNA DsrA. J Bacteriol. 2001 Mar;183(6):1997-2005. PMID:11222598 doi:10.1128/JB.183.6.1997-2005.2001
- ↑ Guisbert E, Rhodius VA, Ahuja N, Witkin E, Gross CA. Hfq modulates the sigmaE-mediated envelope stress response and the sigma32-mediated cytoplasmic stress response in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 2007 Mar;189(5):1963-73. Epub 2006 Dec 8. PMID:17158661 doi:10.1128/JB.01243-06
- ↑ Kim Y, Wood TK. Toxins Hha and CspD and small RNA regulator Hfq are involved in persister cell formation through MqsR in Escherichia coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Jan 1;391(1):209-13. doi:, 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.11.033. Epub 2009 Nov 10. PMID:19909729 doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.11.033
- ↑ Carmichael GG, Weber K, Niveleau A, Wahba AJ. The host factor required for RNA phage Qbeta RNA replication in vitro. Intracellular location, quantitation, and purification by polyadenylate-cellulose chromatography. J Biol Chem. 1975 May 25;250(10):3607-612. PMID:805130
- ↑ Hajnsdorf E, Regnier P. Host factor Hfq of Escherichia coli stimulates elongation of poly(A) tails by poly(A) polymerase I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Feb 15;97(4):1501-5. PMID:10677490 doi:10.1073/pnas.040549897
- ↑ Sledjeski DD, Whitman C, Zhang A. Hfq is necessary for regulation by the untranslated RNA DsrA. J Bacteriol. 2001 Mar;183(6):1997-2005. PMID:11222598 doi:10.1128/JB.183.6.1997-2005.2001
- ↑ Guisbert E, Rhodius VA, Ahuja N, Witkin E, Gross CA. Hfq modulates the sigmaE-mediated envelope stress response and the sigma32-mediated cytoplasmic stress response in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 2007 Mar;189(5):1963-73. Epub 2006 Dec 8. PMID:17158661 doi:10.1128/JB.01243-06
- ↑ Kim Y, Wood TK. Toxins Hha and CspD and small RNA regulator Hfq are involved in persister cell formation through MqsR in Escherichia coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Jan 1;391(1):209-13. doi:, 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.11.033. Epub 2009 Nov 10. PMID:19909729 doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.11.033
- ↑ Link TM, Valentin-Hansen P, Brennan RG. Structure of Escherichia coli Hfq bound to polyriboadenylate RNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Nov 4. PMID:19889981
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