scholarly journals Ectopic expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B epsilon (eIF2Bε) in rat skeletal muscle rescues the sepsis‐induced reduction in guanine nucleotide exchange activity and protein synthesis

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Paul Tuckow ◽  
Thomas C Vary ◽  
Scot R Kimball ◽  
Leonard S Jefferson
2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (2) ◽  
pp. E241-E248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander P. Tuckow ◽  
Thomas C. Vary ◽  
Scot R. Kimball ◽  
Leonard S. Jefferson

Eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) whose activity is both tightly regulated and rate-controlling with regard to global rates of protein synthesis. Skeletal muscle eIF2B activity and expression of its catalytic ε-subunit (eIF2Bε) have been implicated as potential contributors to the altered rates of protein synthesis in a number of physiological conditions and experimental models. The objective of this study was to directly examine the effects of exogenously expressed eIF2Bε in vivo on GEF activity and protein synthetic rates in rat skeletal muscle. A plasmid encoding FLAG-eIF2Bε was transfected into the tibialis anterior (TA) of one leg, while the contralateral TA received a control plasmid. Ectopic expression of eIF2Bε resulted in increased GEF activity in TA homogenates of healthy rats, demonstrating that the expressed protein was catalytically active. In an effort to restore a deficit in eIF2B activity, we utilized an established model of chronic sepsis in which skeletal muscle eIF2B activity is known to be impaired. Ectopic expression of eIF2Bε in the TA rescued the sepsis-induced deficit in GEF activity and muscle protein synthesis. The results demonstrate that modulation of eIF2Bε expression may be sufficient to correct deficits in skeletal muscle protein synthesis associated with sepsis and other muscle-wasting conditions.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4546-4553
Author(s):  
K V Ramaiah ◽  
M V Davies ◽  
J J Chen ◽  
R J Kaufman

The inhibition of protein synthesis that occurs upon phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) at serine 51 correlates with reduced guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B in vivo and inhibition of eIF-2B activity in vitro, although it is not known if phosphorylation is the cause of the reduced eIF-2B activity in vivo. To characterize the importance of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation in the regulation of eIF-2B activity, we studied the overexpression of mutant eIF-2 alpha subunits in which serine 48 or 51 was replaced by an alanine (48A or 51A mutant). Previous studies demonstrated that the 51A mutant was resistant to phosphorylation, whereas the 48A mutant was a substrate for phosphorylation. Additionally, expression of either mutant partially protected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from the inhibition of protein synthesis in response to heat shock treatment (P. Murtha-Riel, M. V. Davies, J. B. Scherer, S. Y. Choi, J. W. B. Hershey, and R. J. Kaufman, J. Biol. Chem. 268:12946-12951, 1993). In this study, we show that eIF-2B activity was inhibited in parental CHO cell extracts upon addition of purified reticulocyte heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), an eIF-2 alpha kinase that phosphorylates Ser-51. Preincubation with purified HRI also reduced the eIF-2B activity in extracts from cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha. In contrast, the eIF-2B activity was not readily inhibited in extracts from cells overexpressing either the eIF-2 alpha 48A or 51A mutant. In addition, eIF-2B activity was decreased in extracts prepared from heat-shocked cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha, whereas the decrease in eIF-2B activity was less in heat-shocked cells overexpressing either mutant 48A or mutant 51A. While the phosphorylation at serine 51 in eIF-2 alpha impairs the eIF-2B activity, we propose that serine 48 acts to maintain a high affinity between phosphorylated eIF-2 alpha and eIF-2B, thereby inactivating eIF-2B activity. These findings support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits protein synthesis directly through reducing eIF-2B activity and emphasize the importance of both serine 48 and serine 51 in the interaction with eIF-2B and regulation of eIF-2B activity.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4546-4553 ◽  
Author(s):  
K V Ramaiah ◽  
M V Davies ◽  
J J Chen ◽  
R J Kaufman

The inhibition of protein synthesis that occurs upon phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) at serine 51 correlates with reduced guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B in vivo and inhibition of eIF-2B activity in vitro, although it is not known if phosphorylation is the cause of the reduced eIF-2B activity in vivo. To characterize the importance of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation in the regulation of eIF-2B activity, we studied the overexpression of mutant eIF-2 alpha subunits in which serine 48 or 51 was replaced by an alanine (48A or 51A mutant). Previous studies demonstrated that the 51A mutant was resistant to phosphorylation, whereas the 48A mutant was a substrate for phosphorylation. Additionally, expression of either mutant partially protected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from the inhibition of protein synthesis in response to heat shock treatment (P. Murtha-Riel, M. V. Davies, J. B. Scherer, S. Y. Choi, J. W. B. Hershey, and R. J. Kaufman, J. Biol. Chem. 268:12946-12951, 1993). In this study, we show that eIF-2B activity was inhibited in parental CHO cell extracts upon addition of purified reticulocyte heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), an eIF-2 alpha kinase that phosphorylates Ser-51. Preincubation with purified HRI also reduced the eIF-2B activity in extracts from cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha. In contrast, the eIF-2B activity was not readily inhibited in extracts from cells overexpressing either the eIF-2 alpha 48A or 51A mutant. In addition, eIF-2B activity was decreased in extracts prepared from heat-shocked cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha, whereas the decrease in eIF-2B activity was less in heat-shocked cells overexpressing either mutant 48A or mutant 51A. While the phosphorylation at serine 51 in eIF-2 alpha impairs the eIF-2B activity, we propose that serine 48 acts to maintain a high affinity between phosphorylated eIF-2 alpha and eIF-2B, thereby inactivating eIF-2B activity. These findings support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits protein synthesis directly through reducing eIF-2B activity and emphasize the importance of both serine 48 and serine 51 in the interaction with eIF-2B and regulation of eIF-2B activity.


1995 ◽  
Vol 309 (3) ◽  
pp. 1009-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
B L Craddock ◽  
N T Price ◽  
C G Proud

A key control point in the initiation of protein synthesis in mammalian cells is the recycling of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-2 by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF-2B. In mammalian cells, eIF-2B is a complex of five different subunits termed epsilon, delta, gamma, beta and alpha. To clone cDNAs for the beta subunit of rabbit eIF-2B, amino acid sequence data was first obtained and used to design redundant oligonucleotide primers for use in PCR. PCR products were used to screen a rabbit liver cDNA library in lambda gt11 to obtain full-length cDNAs for eIF-2B beta. The cDNAs were sequenced completely on both strands and revealed an open reading frame encoding a predicted 351-amino acid polypeptide of 39.0 kDa. The molecular mass and pI (5.99) of the predicted protein agree well with the properties of eIF-2B beta purified from rabbit reticulocytes. In vitro transcription/-translation of the cDNAs gave rise to a product that migrated at a position indistinguishable from that of this subunit of the purified protein. The amino acid sequence shows a high degree of similarity to that of GCD7, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein thought to be equivalent to mammalian eIF-2B beta. Northern-blot analysis revealed a single major mRNA species for eIF-2B beta in each of the four rabbit tissues tested.


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