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Although the actin cytoskeleton and the translation machinery are considered to be separate cellular complexes, growing evidence supports overlapping regulation of the two systems. Because of its interaction with actin, the eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) is proposed to be a regulator or link between these processes. Using a genetic approach with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, specific regions of eEF1A responsible for actin interactions and bundling were identified. Five new mutations were identified along one face of eEF1A. Dramatic changes in cell growth, cell morphology, and actin cable and patch formation as well as a unique effect on total translation in strains expressing the F308L or S405P eEF1A mutant form were observed. The translation effects do not correlate with reduced translation elongation but instead include an initiation defect. Biochemical analysis of the eEF1A mutant forms demonstrated reduced actin-bundling activity in vitro. Reduced total translation and/or the accumulation of 80S ribosomes in strains with either a mutation or a null allele of genes encoding actin itself or actin-regulating proteins Tpm1p, Mdm20p, and Bnirp/Bni1p was observed. Our data demonstrate that eEF1A, other actin binding proteins, and actin mutants affect translation initiation through the actin cytoskeleton.

Rad23 and Rpn10 play synergistic roles in the recognition of ubiquitinated proteins by the proteasome, and loss of both proteins causes growth and proteolytic defects. However, the physiological targets of Rad23 and Rpn10 have not been well defined. We report that rad23Delta rpn10Delta is unable to grow in the presence of translation inhibitors, and this sensitivity was suppressed by translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A). This discovery suggested that Rad23 and Rpn10 perform a role in translation quality control. Certain inhibitors increase translation errors during protein synthesis and cause the release of truncated polypeptide chains. This effect can also be mimicked by ATP depletion. We determined that eEF1A interacted with ubiquitinated proteins and the proteasome following ATP depletion. eEF1A interacted with the proteasome subunit Rpt1, and the turnover of nascent damaged proteins was deficient in rpt1. An eEF1A mutant (eEF1A(D156N)) that conferred hyperresistance to translation inhibitors was much more effective at eliminating damaged proteins and was detected in proteasomes in untreated cells. We propose that eEF1A is well suited to detect and promote degradation of damaged proteins because of its central role in translation elongation. Our findings provide a mechanistic foundation for defining how cellular proteins are degraded cotranslationally.

G proteins, which bind and hydrolyze GTP, are involved in regulating a variety of critical cellular processes, including the process of protein synthesis. Many members of the subfamily of elongation factor class G proteins interact with the ribosome and function to regulate discrete steps during the process of protein synthesis. Despite sequence similarity to factors involved in translation, a role for the yeast Hbs1 protein has not been defined. In this work we have identified a genetic relationship between genes encoding components of the translational apparatus and HBS1. HBS1, while not essential for viability, is important for efficient growth and protein synthesis under conditions of limiting translation initiation. The identification of an Hbs1p-interacting factor, Dom34p, which shares a similar genetic relationship with components of the translational apparatus, suggests that Hbs1p and Dom34p may function as part of a complex that facilitates gene expression. Dom34p contains an RNA binding motif present in several ribosomal proteins and factors that regulate translation of specific mRNAs. Thus, Hbs1p and Dom34p may function together to help directly or indirectly facilitate the expression either of specific mRNAs or under certain cellular conditions.

Translation elongation factor 1beta (EF-1beta) is a member of the family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors, proteins whose activities are important for the regulation of G proteins critical to many cellular processes. EF-1beta is a highly conserved protein that catalyzes the exchange of bound GDP for GTP on EF-1alpha, a required step to ensure continued protein synthesis. In this work, we demonstrate that the highly conserved C-terminal region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae EF-1beta is sufficient for normal cell growth. This region of yeast and metazoan EF-1beta and the metazoan EF-1beta-like protein EF-1delta is highly conserved. Human EF-1beta, but not human EF-1delta, is functional in place of yeast EF-1beta, even though both EF-1beta and EF-1delta have previously been shown to have guanine nucleotide exchange activity in vitro. Based on the sequence and functional homology, mutagenesis of two C-terminal residues identical in all EF-1beta protein sequences was performed, resulting in mutants with growth defects and sensitivity to translation inhibitors. These mutants also enhance translational fidelity at nonsense codons, which correlates with a reduction in total protein synthesis. These results indicate the critical function of EF-1beta in regulating EF-1alpha activity, cell growth, translation rates, and translational fidelity.

Although it is essential for protein synthesis to be highly accurate, a number of cases of directed ribosomal frameshifting have been reported in RNA viruses, as well as in procaryotic and eucaryotic genes. Changes in the efficiency of ribosomal frameshifting can have major effects on the ability of cells to propagate viruses which use this mechanism. Furthermore, studies of this process can illuminate the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of the normal translation reading frame. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae killer virus system uses programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting to synthesize its gene products. Strains harboring the mof2-1 allele demonstrated a fivefold increase in frameshifting and prevented killer virus propagation. In this report, we present the results of the cloning and characterization of the wild-type MOF2 gene. mof2-1 is a novel allele of SUI1, a gene previously shown to play a role in translation initiation start site selection. Strains harboring the mof2-1 allele demonstrated a mutant start site selection phenotype and increased efficiency of programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting and conferred paromomycin sensitivity. The increased frameshifting observed in vivo was reproduced in extracts prepared from mof2-1 cells. Addition of purified wild-type Mof2p/Sui1p reduced frameshifting efficiencies to wild-type levels. Expression of the human SUI1 homolog in yeast corrects all of the mof2-1 phenotypes, demonstrating that the function of this protein is conserved throughout evolution. Taken together, these results suggest that Mof2p/Sui1p functions as a general modulator of accuracy at both the initiation and elongation phases of translation.

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-2 plays a critical role in regulating the expression of the yeast transcriptional activator GCN4. Mutations in genes encoding the alpha and beta subunits of eIF-2 alter translational efficiency at the GCN4 AUG codon and constitutively elevate GCN4 translation. Mutations in the yeast GCD11 gene have been shown to confer a similar phenotype. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned GCD11 gene predicts a 527-amino-acid polypeptide that is similar to the prokaryotic translation elongation factor EF-Tu. Relative to EF-Tu, the deduced GCD11 amino acid sequence contains a 90-amino-acid N-terminal extension and an internal cysteine-rich sequence that contains a potential metal-binding finger motif. We have identified the GCD11 gene product as the gamma subunit of eIF-2 by the following criteria: (i) sequence identities with mammalian eIF-2 gamma peptides; (ii) increased eIF-2 activity in extracts prepared from cells cooverexpressing GCD11, eIF-2 alpha, and eIF-2 beta; and (iii) cross-reactivity of antibodies directed against the GCD11 protein with the 58-kDa polypeptide present in purified yeast eIF-2. The predicted GCD11 polypeptide contains all of the consensus elements known to be required for guanine nucleotide binding, suggesting that, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the gamma subunit of eIF-2 is responsible for GDP-GTP binding.