LAUSR

RNA-binding proteins contain intrinsically disordered regions whose functions in RNA recognition are poorly understood. The RNA chaperone Hfq is a homohexamer that contains six flexible C-terminal domains (CTDs). The effect of the CTDs on Hfq’s integrity and RNA binding has been challenging to study because of their sequence identity and inherent disorder. We used native mass spectrometry (nMS) coupled with surface-induced dissociation (SID) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to disentangle the arrangement of the CTDs and their impact on the stability of E. coli Hfq with and without RNA. The results show that the CTDs stabilize the Hfq hexamer through multiple interactions with the core and between CTDs. RNA binding perturbs this network of CTD interactions, destabilizing the Hfq ring. This destabilization is partially compensated by binding of RNAs that contact multiple surfaces of Hfq. By contrast, binding of short RNAs that only contact one or two subunits results in net destabilization of the complex. Together, the results show that a network of intrinsically disordered interactions integrate RNA contacts with the six subunits of Hfq. We propose that this CTD network raises the selectivity of RNA binding. Significance Statement Hfq is a protein hexamer necessary for gene regulation by non-coding RNA in bacteria, during infection or under stress. In the cell, Hfq must distinguish its RNA partners from many similar nucleic acids. Mass spectrometry dissociation patterns, together with molecular dynamics simulations, showed that flexible extensions of each Hfq subunit form a dense network that interconnects the entire hexamer. This network is disrupted by RNA binding, but the lost interactions are compensated by RNAs that contact multiple Hfq subunits. By measuring interactions that are too irregular to be counted by other methods, mass spectrometry shows how flexible protein extensions help chaperones like Hfq recognize their RNA partners in the messy interior of the cell.