RyhB-mRNA pairing in absence of the RNA chaperone Hfq in vivo

The RNA chaperone Hfq is regarded as a critical effector promoting interaction between small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) and cognate target mRNAs. While much of this interpretation is based on in vitro assays, no in vivo evidence actually exists to support this model. Here we report that Hfq is typically unnecessary for binding of various sRNA-mRNA complexes in vivo. Data obtained from pull-downs of MS2-tagged RyhB, RybB and DsrA sRNAs followed by RNAseq identification of target mRNAs suggest that absence of Hfq is not essential for sRNA-mRNA complex formation in vivo. Identification of RNAs co-purified with MS2-RyhB in Δhfq ΔryhB background.