Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5 is critical for integrity of the scanning preinitiation complex and accurate control of GCN4 translation.

Abstract

The integrity of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) interactions in ribosomal pre-initiation complexes is critical for the proper regulation of GCN4 mRNA translation in response to amino acid availability. Increased phosphorylation of eIF2 under amino acid starvation conditions leads to a corresponding increase in GCN4 mRNA translation. The carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of eIF5 (eIF5-CTD) has been identified as a potential nucleation site for pre-initiation complex assembly. To further characterize eIF5 and delineate its role in GCN4 translational control, we isolated mutations leading to temperature sensitivity (Ts- phenotype) targeted at TIF5, the structural gene encoding eIF5 in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Nine single point mutations were isolated, in addition to an allele in which the last 15 amino acids were deleted. The nine point mutations clustered in the eIF5-CTD, which contains two conserved aromatic/acidic boxes. Six of the point mutations derepressed GCN4 translation independent of eIF2 phosphorylation (Gcd- phenotype) at a permissive temperature, directly implicating eIF5-CTD in the eIF2/GTP/Met-tRNA(i)Met ternary complex binding process required for GCN4 translational control. In addition, stronger restriction of eIF5-CTD function at an elevated temperature led to failure to derepress GCN4 translation (Gcn- phenotype) in all of the mutants, most likely due to leaky scanning of the first upstream open reading frame of GCN4 mRNA. This latter result directly implicates eIF5-CTD in the process of accurate scanning for, or recognition of, AUG codons. Taken together, our results indicate that eIF5-CTD plays a critical role in both the assembly of the 43S complex and the post-assembly process in the 48S complex, likely during the scanning process.

• Authors: Chingakham Ranjit Singh, Cynthia Curtis, Yasufumi Yamamoto, Nathan S Hall, Dustin S Kruse, Hui He, Ernest M Hannig, Katsura Asano
• Journal: Molecular and cellular biology (Mol Cell Biol) Vol. 25 Issue 13 Pg. 5480-91 (Jul 2005) ISSN: 0270-7306 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15964804 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• DNA-Binding Proteins
• Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-5
• Fungal Proteins
• RNA, Messenger
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
• Glutathione Transferase
• Protein Kinases

Topics

• Alleles
• Amino Acid Sequence
• Conserved Sequence
• DNA-Binding Proteins (biosynthesis)
• Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-5 (chemistry, genetics, metabolism)
• Fungal Proteins (metabolism)
• Genes, Fungal
• Glutathione Transferase (metabolism)
• Models, Biological
• Models, Molecular
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Open Reading Frames
• Phosphorylation
• Point Mutation
• Protein Binding
• Protein Biosynthesis
• Protein Conformation
• Protein Kinases (biosynthesis)
• Protein Structure, Secondary
• Protein Structure, Tertiary
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins (metabolism)
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins (biosynthesis)
• Sequence Deletion
• Temperature