Abstract 274: Expression and Phosphorylation States of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 (EEF2) and EEF2 Kinase in Cardiomyocytes From Hypertrophy Models

2016 ◽  
Vol 119 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Kameshima ◽  
Muneyoshi Okada ◽  
Shiro Ikeda ◽  
Yuki Watanabe ◽  
Hideyuki Yamawaki

Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) kinase (eEF2K, also known as calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase III) is regulated by both CaM-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Activated eEF2K phosphorylates and inactivates a specific substrate, eEF2. eEF2 activation facilitates protein translation. It is recognized that increased protein synthesis is one of the primary factors for cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In fact, angiotensin II, which induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, was reported to facilitate eEF2 dephosphorylation (activation) and protein synthesis in rat isolated cardiomyocytes. We have previously demonstrated that protein expression of eEF2K was increased specifically in left ventricles (LV) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). However, expression and phosphorylation states of eEF2K and eEF2 in LV of other cardiac hypertrophy models are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore it. Male C57BL/6NJcl mice and Wistar rats received transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and isoproterenol (5 mg/kg; ISO) injection, respectively, which induced cardiac hypertrophy. After 3 and 28 days from TAC operation and 7 days from ISO injection, LV were isolated and used for Western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Echocardiography was done in TAC mice before LV isolation. In TAC-induced hypertrophied LV (3 days), eEF2K expression was significantly increased (p<0.01 vs. SHAM) and its phosphorylation at Ser366 was significantly decreased (p<0.05 vs. SHAM). Consistently, eEF2 phosphorylation was significantly increased (p<0.01 vs. SHAM). In LV from ISO rats, eEF2K phosphorylation at Ser366 was significantly decreased as determined by WB (p<0.01 vs. control). In addition, eEF2K- and phosphorylated eEF2-positive cardiomyocytes were increased as determined by IHC. These changes were also confirmed in LV from SHR. At 28 days after TAC, fractional shortening was significantly decreased (from 56.6±1.6% to 44.4±2.3%, p<0.01). Interestingly, eEF2 phosphorylation in LV was significantly decreased (p<0.05 vs. SHAM). The present results suggest the potential role of eEF2K/eEF2 signals in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy/failure.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darby J. Ballard ◽  
Hao-Yun Peng ◽  
Jugal Kishore Das ◽  
Anil Kumar ◽  
Liqing Wang ◽  
...  

Eukaryotic Elongation Factor-2 Kinase (eEF2K) acts as a negative regulator of protein synthesis, translation, and cell growth. As a structurally unique member of the alpha-kinase family, eEF2K is essential to cell survival under stressful conditions, as it contributes to both cell viability and proliferation. Known as the modulator of the global rate of protein translation, eEF2K inhibits eEF2 (eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2) and decreases translation elongation when active. eEF2K is regulated by various mechanisms, including phosphorylation through residues and autophosphorylation. Specifically, this protein kinase is downregulated through the phosphorylation of multiple sites via mTOR signaling and upregulated via the AMPK pathway. eEF2K plays important roles in numerous biological systems, including neurology, cardiology, myology, and immunology. This review provides further insights into the current roles of eEF2K and its potential to be explored as a therapeutic target for drug development.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Proud

Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) belongs to the small family of atypical protein kinases termed α-kinases, and is the only calcium/calmodulin (Ca/CaM)-dependent member of that group. It phosphorylates and inactivates eEF2, to slow down the rate of elongation, the stage in mRNA translation that consumes almost all the energy and amino acids consumed by protein synthesis. In addition to activation by Ca/CaM, eEF2K is also regulated by an array of other regulatory inputs, which include inhibition by the nutrient- and growth-factor activated signalling pathways. Recent evidence shows that eEF2K plays an important role in learning and memory, processes that require the synthesis of new proteins and involve Ca-mediated signalling. eEF2K is activated under conditions of nutrient and energy depletion. In cancer cells, or certain tumours, eEF2K exerts cytoprotective effects, which probably reflect its ability to inhibit protein synthesis, and nutrient consumption, under starvation conditions. eEF2K is being evaluated as a potential therapeutic target in cancer.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
pp. 802-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Martinetz ◽  
Carl-Philipp Meinung ◽  
Benjamin Jurek ◽  
David von Schack ◽  
Erwin H. van den Burg ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 596-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asli A. Hizli ◽  
Yong Chi ◽  
Jherek Swanger ◽  
John H. Carter ◽  
Yi Liao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTProtein synthesis is highly regulated via both initiation and elongation. One mechanism that inhibits elongation is phosphorylation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) on threonine 56 (T56) by eEF2 kinase (eEF2K). T56 phosphorylation inactivates eEF2 and is the only known normal eEF2 functional modification. In contrast, eEF2K undergoes extensive regulatory phosphorylations that allow diverse pathways to impact elongation. We describe a new mode of eEF2 regulation and show that its phosphorylation by cyclin A–cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) on a novel site, serine 595 (S595), directly regulates T56 phosphorylation by eEF2K. S595 phosphorylation varies during the cell cycle and is required for efficient T56 phosphorylationin vivo. Importantly, S595 phosphorylation by cyclin A-CDK2 directly stimulates eEF2 T56 phosphorylation by eEF2Kin vitro, and we suggest that S595 phosphorylation facilitates T56 phosphorylation by recruiting eEF2K to eEF2. S595 phosphorylation is thus the first known eEF2 modification that regulates its inhibition by eEF2K and provides a novel mechanism linking the cell cycle machinery to translational control. Because all known eEF2 regulation is exerted via eEF2K, S595 phosphorylation may globally couple the cell cycle machinery to regulatory pathways that impact eEF2K activity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 465 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. P. Knight ◽  
Amandine Bastide ◽  
Anne Roobol ◽  
Jo Roobol ◽  
Thomas J. Jackson ◽  
...  

Modulation of translation elongation rates, and not initiation, is responsible for the reduction of protein synthesis in response to cold-stress induced in mild hypothermic conditions. This is mediated by release of Ca2+ ions from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and activation of eEF2K (eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase).


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