Integration host factor (IHF) is a small, heterodimeric DNA-binding protein of Escherichia coli composed of two subunits, alpha and beta, encoded by the himA and hip genes, respectively. IHF binds to the minor groove at a consensus sequence and bends DNA. We mutagenized the hip gene and studied the activity of the mutant IHF proteins in vivo and in vitro. Substitutions at the C-terminal alpha-helix (alpha-helix 3) reduced IHF activity and relaxed the specificity to DNA without abolishing the ability of IHF to bend DNA. These results indicate that the C-terminal region of Hip participates in determining IHF specificity. Alanine substitutions in beta-strands 2 and 3 generally had no effect on IHF activity in vivo suggesting that individually, many of these residues make only small contributions to the binding of IHF to DNA. Replacing the single amino acid of Hip that differs from HU in a highly conserved region of the arm did not affect IHF activity. This finding led us to conclude that this region of Hip does not contribute to specific DNA recognition by IHF. The binding of IHF to DNA is probably not restricted to one domain, but requires the co-operative participation of a number of regions of the protein.