scholarly journals Transcript Levels of the Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A Gene Peak at Early G1 Phase of the Cell Cycle in the Dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 2278-2284 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Chan ◽  
D. New ◽  
S. Ghandhi ◽  
F. Wong ◽  
C. M. C. Lam ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A cDNA encoding a eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) homolog in heterotrophic dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii (CceIF-5A) was isolated through random sequencing of a cDNA library. The predicted amino acid sequence possesses the 12 strictly conserved amino acids around lysine 52 (equivalent to lysine 50 or 51 in other eukaryotes). A single 1.2-kb band was detected in Northern blot analysis. In synchronized C. cohnii cells, the transcript level peaked at early G1 and decreased dramatically on the entry to S phase. Although this has not been previously reported, studies of budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and certain mammalian cell types suggest a role for eIF-5A in the G1/S transition of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Phylogenetic trees constructed with 26 other published eIF-5A sequences suggest that CceIF-5A, while falling within the eukaryotic branches, forms a lineage separate from those of the plants, animals, and archaebacteria. The posttranslational modification of eIF-5A by a transfer of a 4-aminobutyl moiety from spermidine to conserved lysine 50 or 51, forming amino acid hypusine, is the only demonstrated specific function of polyamines in cell proliferation. It has been suggested that polyamines stimulate population growth of bloom-forming dinoflagellates in the sea. We demonstrate here putrescine-stimulated cell proliferation. Furthermore, ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor d-difluoromethylornithine and the specific hypusination inhibitor N-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane exhibited inhibitory effects in two species of dinoflagellates. The possible links of polyamines and saxitoxin synthesis to the arginine cycle are also discussed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Urmila Sehrawat ◽  
Femke Koning ◽  
Shaked Ashkenazi ◽  
Gil Stelzer ◽  
Dena Leshkowitz ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTProtein synthesis is linked to cell proliferation, and its deregulation contributes to cancer. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1A (eIF1A) plays a key role in scanning and AUG selection and differentially affects the translation of distinct mRNAs. Its unstructured N-terminal tail (NTT) is frequently mutated in several malignancies. Here we report that eIF1A is essential for cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Ribosome profiling of eIF1A knockdown cells revealed a substantial enrichment of cell cycle mRNAs among the downregulated genes, which are predominantly characterized by a lengthy 5′ untranslated region (UTR). Conversely, eIF1A depletion caused a broad stimulation of 5′ UTR initiation at a near cognate AUG, unveiling a prominent role of eIF1A in suppressing 5′ UTR translation. In addition, the AUG context-dependent autoregulation of eIF1 was disrupted by eIF1A depletion, suggesting their cooperation in AUG context discrimination and scanning. Importantly, cancer-associated eIF1A NTT mutants augmented the eIF1A positive effect on a long 5′ UTR, while they hardly affected AUG selection. Mechanistically, these mutations diminished the eIF1A interaction with Rps3 and Rps10 implicated in scanning arrest. Our findings suggest that the reduced binding of eIF1A NTT mutants to the ribosome retains its open state and facilitates scanning of long 5′ UTR-containing cell cycle genes.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 3894-3906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Sheng Yang ◽  
Myung-Haing Cho ◽  
Halina Zakowicz ◽  
Glenn Hegamyer ◽  
Nahum Sonenberg ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Αn α-helical MA-3 domain appears in several translation initiation factors, including human eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) and DAP-5/NAT1/p97, as well as in the tumor suppressor Pdcd4. The function of the MA-3 domain is, however, unknown. C-terminal eIF4G (eIG4Gc) contains an MA-3 domain that is located within the eIF4A-binding region, suggesting a role for eIF4A binding. Interestingly, C-terminal DAP-5/NAT1/p97 contains an MA-3 domain, but it does not bind to eIF4A. Mutation of amino acid residues conserved between Pdcd4 and eIF4Gc but not in DAP-5/NAT1/p97 to the amino acid residues found in the DAP-5/NAT1/p97 indicates that some of these amino acid residues within the MA-3 domain are critical for eIF4A-binding activity. Six Pdcd4 mutants (Pdcd4E249K, Pdcd4D253A, Pdcd4D414K, Pdcd4D418A, Pdcd4E249K,D414K, and Pdcd4D253A,D418A) lost >90% eIF4A-binding activity. Mutation of the corresponding amino acid residues in the eIF4Gc also produced similar results, as seen for Pdcd4. These results demonstrate that the MA-3 domain is important for eIF4A binding and explain the ability of Pdcd4 or eIF4Gc but not DAP-5/NAT1/p97 to bind to eIF4A. Competition experiments indicate that Pdcd4 prevents ca. 60 to 70% of eIF4A binding to eIF4Gc at a Pdcd4/eIF4A ratio of 1:1, but mutants Pdcd4D253A and Pdcd4D253A,D418A do not. Translation of stem-loop structured mRNA is susceptible to inhibition by wild-type Pdcd4 but not by Pdcd4D253A, Pdcd4D418A, or Pdcd4D235A,D418A. Together, these results indicate that not only binding to eIF4A but also prevention of eIF4A binding to the MA-3 domain of eIF4Gc contributes to the mechanism by which Pdcd4 inhibits translation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 280 (16) ◽  
pp. 16514-16521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Sattlegger ◽  
Alan G. Hinnebusch

The protein kinase GCN2 mediates translational control of gene expression in amino acid-starved cells by phosphorylating eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α. InSaccharomyces cerevisiae,activation of GCN2 by uncharged tRNAs in starved cells requires its direct interaction with both the GCN1·GCN20 regulatory complex and ribosomes. GCN1 also interacts with ribosomes in cell extracts, but it was unknown whether this activity is crucial for its ability to stimulate GCN2 function in starved cells. We describe point mutations in two conserved, noncontiguous segments of GCN1 that lead to reduced polyribosome association by GCN1·GCN20 in living cells without reducing GCN1 expression or its interaction with GCN20. Mutating both segments simultaneously produced a greater reduction in polyribosome binding by GCN1·GCN20 and a stronger decrease in eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α phosphorylation than did mutating in one segment alone. These findings provide strong evidence that ribosome binding by GCN1 is required for its role as a positive regulator of GCN2. A particular mutation in the GCN1 domain, related in sequence to translation elongation factor 3 (eEF3), decreased GCN2 activation much more than it reduced ribosome binding by GCN1. Hence, the eEF3-like domain appears to have an effector function in GCN2 activation. This conclusion supports the model that an eEF3-related activity of GCN1 influences occupancy of the ribosomal decoding site by uncharged tRNA in starved cells.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 6573-6581 ◽  
Author(s):  
V A Polunovsky ◽  
I B Rosenwald ◽  
A T Tan ◽  
J White ◽  
L Chiang ◽  
...  

There is increasing evidence that cell cycle transit is potentially lethal, with survival depending on the activation of metabolic pathways which block apoptosis. However, the identities of those pathways coupling cell cycle transit to survival remain undefined. Here we show that the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) can mediate both proliferative and survival signaling. Overexpression of eIF4E completely substituted for serum or individual growth factors in preserving the viability of established NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. An eIF4E mutant (Ser-53 changed to Ala) defective in mediating its growth-factor-regulated functions was also defective in its survival signaling. Survival signaling by enforced expression of eIF4E did not result from autocrine release of survival factors, nor did it lead to increased expression of the apoptosis antagonists Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. In addition, the execution apparatus of the apoptotic response in eIF4E-overexpressing cells was found to be intact. Increased expression of eIF4E was sufficient to inhibit apoptosis in serum-restricted primary fibroblasts with enforced expression of Myc. In contrast, activation of Ha-Ras, which is required for eIF4E proliferative signaling, did not suppress Myc-induced apoptosis. These data suggest that the eIF4E-activated pathways leading to survival and cell cycle progression are distinct. This dual signaling of proliferation and survival might be the basis for the potency of eIF4E as an inducer of neoplastic transformation.


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