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The Bacterial Amyloid-Like Hfq Promotes In Vitro DNA Alignment

Frank Wien1, Denis Martinez2, Etienne Le Brun3

  • 1Synchrotron SOLEIL, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.

Microorganisms
|December 11, 2019
PubMed

Insights

The Hfq protein

Area of Science:

  • Bacteriology and Molecular Biology
  • Chromatin Structure and Dynamics
  • Genetics and Evolution

Background:

  • The Hfq protein is crucial for bacterial adaptation and virulence, mediating RNA-RNA interactions.
  • Hfq also associates with DNA, contributing to bacterial chromatin structure, though its precise role is debated.
  • Previous studies demonstrated Hfq's ability to compact DNA via its C-terminal region (CTR).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the novel effects of the Hfq protein's C-terminal region (CTR) on DNA structure.
  • To explore the functional implications of Hfq-induced DNA structural changes in bacterial chromatin and evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized biophysical techniques to analyze the interaction between the Hfq CTR and DNA.
  • Examined the influence of Hfq CTR on DNA double helix structure and fiber alignment.

Main Results:

  • The Hfq CTR significantly alters DNA double helix structure, affecting base tilting.
  • Hfq CTR promotes strong local alignment of nucleoprotein Hfq:DNA fibers.
  • These findings reveal a new DNA-binding property of Hfq.

Conclusions:

  • Hfq's CTR plays a direct role in DNA structuration beyond simple compaction.
  • The observed DNA alignment by Hfq has potential functional consequences for chromatin organization.
  • This property may influence bacterial adaptation and evolutionary processes.
Keywords:
Couette flow cellDNA compactionDNA recombinationNucleoid-associated protein (NAP)Sm proteinSynchrotron Radiation Circular and Linear Dichroism (SRCD/SRLD)amyloidatomic force microscopy (AFM)solid state NMR (ssNMR)

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