The regulation of transcription initiation by integration host factor

Integration host factor (IHF) of Escherichia coli is an asymmetric histone-like protein that binds and bends the DNA at specific sequences. IHF functions as an accessory factor in a wide variety of processes including replication, site-specific recombination and transcription. In many of these processes IHF was shown to act as an architectural element which helps the formation of nucleo-protein complexes by bending of the DNA at specific sites. This MicroReview shows how such a structural role of IHF can influence the initiation of transcription. In addition, it summarizes the evidence indicating that IHF can stimulate transcription via a direct interaction with RNA polymerase and explores the possibility that the asymmetry of the IHF protein might reflect such an interaction.