scholarly journals Elongation Factor Tu3 (EF-Tu3) from the Kirromycin Producer Streptomyces ramocissimus Is Resistant to Three Classes of EF-Tu-Specific Inhibitors

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (9) ◽  
pp. 3581-3590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lian N. Olsthoorn-Tieleman ◽  
Robert-Jan T. S. Palstra ◽  
Gilles P. van Wezel ◽  
Mervyn J. Bibb ◽  
Cornelis W. A. Pleij

ABSTRACT The antibiotic kirromycin inhibits prokaryotic protein synthesis by immobilizing elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) on the elongating ribosome. Streptomyces ramocissimus, the producer of kirromycin, contains three tuf genes. While tuf1 and tuf2 encode kirromycin-sensitive EF-Tu species, the function of tuf3 is unknown. Here we demonstrate that EF-Tu3, in contrast to EF-Tu1 and EF-Tu2, is resistant to three classes of EF-Tu-targeted antibiotics: kirromycin, pulvomycin, and GE2270A. A mixture of EF-Tu1 and EF-Tu3 was sensitive to kirromycin and resistant to GE2270A, in agreement with the described modes of action of these antibiotics. Transcription of tuf3 was observed during exponential growth and ceased upon entry into stationary phase and therefore did not correlate with the appearance of kirromycin in stationary phase; thus, it is unlikely that EF-Tu3 functions as a resistant alternative for EF-Tu1. EF-Tu3 from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was also resistant to kirromycin and GE2270A, suggesting that multiple antibiotic resistance is an intrinsic feature of EF-Tu3 species. The GE2270A-resistant character of EF-Tu3 demonstrated that this divergent elongation factor is capable of substituting for EF-Tu1 in vivo.

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-697
Author(s):  
T R Rao ◽  
L I Slobin

When Friend erythroleukemia cells were allowed to grow to stationary phase (2 X 10(6) to 3 X 10(6) cells per ml), approximately 60% of the mRNA for eucaryotic elongation factor Tu (eEF-Tu) sedimented at less than or equal to 80S, and most of the remaining factor mRNA was associated with small polysomes. Under the same growth conditions, greater than 90% of the mRNA for eucaryotic initiation factor 4A remained associated with polysomes. The association of eEF-Tu mRNA with polysomes changed dramatically when stationary-phase cells were treated with fresh medium. After 1 h in fresh medium, approximately 90% of eEF-Tu mRNA in Friend cells was found in heavy polysomes. Associated with the shift of eEF-Tu mRNA into heavy polysomes, we found at least a 2.6-fold increase in the synthesis of eEF-Tu in vivo as well as a remarkable 40% decrease in the total amount of eEF-Tu mRNA per cell. Our data raise the possibility that eEF-Tu mRNA that has accumulated in ribonucleoprotein particles in stationary-phase cells is degraded rather than reutilized for eEF-Tu synthesis.


1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
T R Rao ◽  
L I Slobin

When Friend erythroleukemia cells were allowed to grow to stationary phase (2 X 10(6) to 3 X 10(6) cells per ml), approximately 60% of the mRNA for eucaryotic elongation factor Tu (eEF-Tu) sedimented at less than or equal to 80S, and most of the remaining factor mRNA was associated with small polysomes. Under the same growth conditions, greater than 90% of the mRNA for eucaryotic initiation factor 4A remained associated with polysomes. The association of eEF-Tu mRNA with polysomes changed dramatically when stationary-phase cells were treated with fresh medium. After 1 h in fresh medium, approximately 90% of eEF-Tu mRNA in Friend cells was found in heavy polysomes. Associated with the shift of eEF-Tu mRNA into heavy polysomes, we found at least a 2.6-fold increase in the synthesis of eEF-Tu in vivo as well as a remarkable 40% decrease in the total amount of eEF-Tu mRNA per cell. Our data raise the possibility that eEF-Tu mRNA that has accumulated in ribonucleoprotein particles in stationary-phase cells is degraded rather than reutilized for eEF-Tu synthesis.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1085-1092
Author(s):  
T R Rao ◽  
L I Slobin

The decay rates of eucaryotic elongation factor Tu (eEF-Tu) mRNA and eucaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF-4A) mRNA in Friend erythroleukemia (FEL) cells were determined under several different growth conditions. In FEL cells which were no longer actively dividing (stationary phase), eEF-Tu mRNA was found to be rather stable, with a t1/2 of about 24 h. In rapidly growing FEL cells eEF-Tu mRNA was considerably less stable, with a t1/2 of about 9 h. In both cases a single rate of mRNA decay was observed. However, when stationary-phase cells resumed growth after treatment with fresh medium, we observed that eEF-Tu mRNA decay followed a biphasic process. The faster of the two decay rates involved approximately 50% of the eEF-Tu mRNA and had a t1/2 of about 1 h. The decay rates for eIF-4A (t1/2 = 2 h) and total poly(A)+ RNA (t1/2 = 3 h) were unaffected by changes in growth conditions. The t1/2 for polysomal eEF-Tu mRNA was found to be about 8 h when stationary FEL cells were treated with fresh medium. Previous work in this laboratory has shown (T. R. Rao and L. I. Slobin, Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:687-697, 1987) that when FEL cells are allowed to grow to stationary phase, approximately 60% of the mRNA for eEF-Tu is found in a nontranslating postpolysomal messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) particle. eEF-Tu mRNP was rapidly cleared from stationary cells after treatment with fresh medium. The data presented in this report indicate that the stability of eEF-Tu mRNP is rapidly altered and the particle is targeted for degradation when stationary FEL cells resume growth.


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