Crystal structure of the eukaryotic 40S ribosomal subunit in complex with initiation factor 1

Eukaryotic ribosomes are substantially larger and more complex than their bacterial counterparts. Although their core function is conserved, bacterial and eukaryotic protein synthesis differ considerably at the level of initiation. The eukaryotic small ribosomal subunit (40S) plays a central role in this process; it binds initiation factors that facilitate scanning of messenger RNAs and initiation of protein synthesis. We have determined the crystal structure of the Tetrahymena thermophila 40S ribosomal subunit in complex with eukaryotic initiation factor 1 (eIF1) at a resolution of 3.9 angstroms. The structure reveals the fold of the entire 18S ribosomal RNA and of all ribosomal proteins of the 40S subunit, and defines the interactions with eIF1. It provides insights into the eukaryotic-specific aspects of protein synthesis, including the function of eIF1 as well as signaling and regulation mediated by the ribosomal proteins RACK1 and rpS6e.     

Structural roles for human translation factor eIF3 in initiation of protein synthesis

Protein synthesis in mammalian cells requires initiation factor eIF3, a approximately 750-kilodalton complex that controls assembly of 40S ribosomal subunits on messenger RNAs (mRNAs) bearing either a 5'-cap or an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions show that eIF3, a five-lobed particle, interacts with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES RNA and the 5'-cap binding complex eIF4F via the same domain. Detailed modeling of eIF3 and eIF4F onto the 40S ribosomal subunit reveals that eIF3 uses eIF4F or the HCV IRES in structurally similar ways to position the mRNA strand near the exit site of 40S, promoting initiation complex assembly.     

Quercetin Increased Protein Utilization and Decreased Nitrogen Excretion in Broilers by Activating TOR Signaling Pathway

The study was conducted to investigate the effect and mechanism of dietary quercetin supplementation on protein utilization of Arbor Acres (AA) broilers.A total of 240 1-day-old AA broilers were randomly allocated to four treatments with six replicates,comprising 10 broilers each replicate (60 broilers per treatment).Birds were fed either a corn-soybean meal basal diet without quercetin (control) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.2,0.4 or 0.6 g of quercetin per kg feed,and the trial lasted 42 days.Dietary quercetin supplementation tended to increase the apparent metabolic rate of protein (p=0.076) and the content of serum albumin (p=0.062) in AA broilers.Compared with the control,dietary quercetin supplementation increased the contents of protein in breast muscle (p0.05) and in thigh muscle (p=0.053).In addition,quercetin up-regulated mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K),target of rapamycin (TOR),ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1),eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E),eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G),eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B (eIF4B) genes and down-regulated mRNA expression of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein1 (4E-BP1) genes in breast muscle,thigh muscle and liver of AA broilers (p0.05).The present results suggested that dietary quercetin supplementation enhanced protein utilization in broilers by activating TOR signaling pathway.     

Crystal structure of the eukaryotic ribosome

Crystal structures of prokaryotic ribosomes have described in detail the universally conserved core of the translation mechanism. However, many facets of the translation process in eukaryotes are not shared with prokaryotes. The crystal structure of the yeast 80S ribosome determined at 4.15 angstrom resolution reveals the higher complexity of eukaryotic ribosomes, which are 40% larger than their bacterial counterparts. Our model shows how eukaryote-specific elements considerably expand the network of interactions within the ribosome and provides insights into eukaryote-specific features of protein synthesis. Our crystals capture the ribosome in the ratcheted state, which is essential for translocation of mRNA and transfer RNA (tRNA), and in which the small ribosomal subunit has rotated with respect to the large subunit. We describe the conformational changes in both ribosomal subunits that are involved in ratcheting and their implications in coordination between the two associated subunits and in mRNA and tRNA translocation.     

Crystal structure of an initiation factor bound to the 30S ribosomal subunit

Initiation of translation at the correct position on messenger RNA is essential for accurate protein synthesis. In prokaryotes, this process requires three initiation factors: IF1, IF2, and IF3. Here we report the crystal structure of a complex of IF1 and the 30S ribosomal subunit. Binding of IF1 occludes the ribosomal A site and flips out the functionally important bases A1492 and A1493 from helix 44 of 16S RNA, burying them in pockets in IF1. The binding of IF1 causes long-range changes in the conformation of H44 and leads to movement of the domains of 30S with respect to each other. The structure explains how localized changes at the ribosomal A site lead to global alterations in the conformation of the 30S subunit.     

Inhibition of protein synthesis by spectinomycin

Spectinomycin selectively inhibits protein synthesis in cells and in extracts of Escherichia coli. Mutations to high-level resistance to this antibiotic map close to the streptomycin locus, and the site of action of spectinomycin, like that of streptomycin, is the 30S ribosomal subunit, as shown by experiments with reconstituted 70S ribosomes containing subunits from sensitive and from resistant ribosomes. In contrast to streptomycin, however, spectinomycin is not bactericidal and causes no detectable misreading of polyribonucleotides.     

Erythromycin-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli with altered ribosomal protein component

Erythromycin combines with 50S ribosomal subunit of an erythromycin-sensitive Escherichia coli (strain Q13), while ribosomes from an erythromycin-resistant mutant from this strain have little affinity for the antibiotic. A protein component of the 50S subunit of the mutant strain is distinct from that of the parent Q13 strain.     

植物蛋白激酶GCN2结构、功能及调控研究进展

植物对于生物和非生物胁迫的应答效率直接影响植物的生长发育。蛋白的磷酸化和去磷酸化修饰在植物环境胁迫应答中起到了重要作用。在真核生物蛋白翻译起始过程中,蛋白激酶GCN2能通过磷酸化真核翻译起始因子e IF2α来调控蛋白的翻译,进而对逆境胁迫进行应答。在植物中,GCN2通过磷酸化e IF2α抑制蛋白的合成,从而激活植物自身免疫防御以应答各种胁迫。从GCN2的结构、调控及其在植物中的新功能等方面综述了植物GCN2的研究进展,以期为揭示植物GCN2介导的胁迫应答机理提供参考。     

How hibernation factors RMF, HPF, and YfiA turn off protein synthesis

Eubacteria inactivate their ribosomes as 100S dimers or 70S monomers upon entry into stationary phase. In Escherichia coli, 100S dimer formation is mediated by ribosome modulation factor (RMF) and hibernation promoting factor (HPF), or alternatively, the YfiA protein inactivates ribosomes as 70S monomers. Here, we present high-resolution crystal structures of the Thermus thermophilus 70S ribosome in complex with each of these stationary-phase factors. The binding site of RMF overlaps with that of the messenger RNA (mRNA) Shine-Dalgarno sequence, which prevents the interaction between the mRNA and the 16S ribosomal RNA. The nearly identical binding sites of HPF and YfiA overlap with those of the mRNA, transfer RNA, and initiation factors, which prevents translation initiation. The binding of RMF and HPF, but not YfiA, to the ribosome induces a conformational change of the 30S head domain that promotes 100S dimer formation.     

Structure of the S15,S6,S18-rRNA complex: assembly of the 30S ribosome central domain

The crystal structure of a 70-kilodalton ribonucleoprotein complex from the central domain of the Thermus thermophilus 30S ribosomal subunit was solved at 2.6 angstrom resolution. The complex consists of a 104-nucleotide RNA fragment composed of two three-helix junctions that lie at the end of a central helix, and the ribosomal proteins S15, S6, and S18. S15 binds the ribosomal RNA early in the assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit, stabilizing a conformational reorganization of the two three-helix junctions that creates the RNA fold necessary for subsequent binding of S6 and S18. The structure of the complex demonstrates the central role of S15-induced reorganization of central domain RNA for the subsequent steps of ribosome assembly.     

Selective inhibition of a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1 restores proteostasis

Many biological processes are regulated through the selective dephosphorylation of proteins. Protein serine-threonine phosphatases are assembled from catalytic subunits bound to diverse regulatory subunits that provide substrate specificity and subcellular localization. We describe a small molecule, guanabenz, that bound to a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1, PPP1R15A/GADD34, selectively disrupting the stress-induced dephosphorylation of the α subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α). Without affecting the related PPP1R15B-phosphatase complex and constitutive protein synthesis, guanabenz prolonged eIF2α phosphorylation in human stressed cells, adjusting the protein production rates to levels manageable by available chaperones. This favored protein folding and thereby rescued cells from protein misfolding stress. Thus, regulatory subunits of phosphatases are drug targets, a property used here to restore proteostasis in stressed cells.     

A selective inhibitor of eIF2alpha dephosphorylation protects cells from ER stress

Most protein phosphatases have little intrinsic substrate specificity, making selective pharmacological inhibition of specific dephosphorylation reactions a challenging problem. In a screen for small molecules that protect cells from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, we identified salubrinal, a selective inhibitor of cellular complexes that dephosphorylate eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit alpha (eIF2alpha). Salubrinal also blocks eIF2alpha dephosphorylation mediated by a herpes simplex virus protein and inhibits viral replication. These results suggest that selective chemical inhibitors of eIF2alpha dephosphorylation may be useful in diseases involving ER stress or viral infection. More broadly, salubrinal demonstrates the feasibility of selective pharmacological targeting of cellular dephosphorylation events.     

The structure of the eukaryotic ribosome at 3.0 Å resolution

Ribosomes translate genetic information encoded by messenger RNA into proteins. Many aspects of translation and its regulation are specific to eukaryotes, whose ribosomes are much larger and intricate than their bacterial counterparts. We report the crystal structure of the 80S ribosome from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae--including nearly all ribosomal RNA bases and protein side chains as well as an additional protein, Stm1--at a resolution of 3.0 angstroms. This atomic model reveals the architecture of eukaryote-specific elements and their interaction with the universally conserved core, and describes all eukaryote-specific bridges between the two ribosomal subunits. It forms the structural framework for the design and analysis of experiments that explore the eukaryotic translation apparatus and the evolutionary forces that shaped it.     

Structure of the exon junction core complex with a trapped DEAD-box ATPase bound to RNA

In higher eukaryotes, a multiprotein exon junction complex is deposited on spliced messenger RNAs. The complex is organized around a stable core, which serves as a binding platform for numerous factors that influence messenger RNA function. Here, we present the crystal structure of a tetrameric exon junction core complex containing the DEAD-box adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) eukaryotic initiation factor 4AIII (eIF4AIII) bound to an ATP analog, MAGOH, Y14, a fragment of MLN51, and a polyuracil mRNA mimic. eIF4AIII interacts with the phosphate-ribose backbone of six consecutive nucleotides and prevents part of the bound RNA from being double stranded. The MAGOH and Y14 subunits lock eIF4AIII in a prehydrolysis state, and activation of the ATPase probably requires only modest conformational changes in eIF4AIII motif I.     

蛋白质翻译起始因子的作用与调控

 蛋白质翻译起始因子是一类在真核细胞中蛋白质翻译所必需的、保证正确的mRNA－核糖体复合物形成的蛋白质,已知的起始因子共有12种,在真核细胞翻译起始阶段有重要作用。蛋白质合成的调节主要通过翻译起始因子的磷酸化进行。真核细胞蛋白质翻译最重要的调节位点是翻译起始因子eIF 2和eIF 4。本文主要综述了近年来关于蛋白质翻译起始因子的作用及调控的最新研究进展     

Crystal structure of Thermotoga maritima ribosome recycling factor: a tRNA mimic

Ribosome recycling factor (RRF), together with elongation factor G (EF-G), catalyzes recycling of ribosomes after one round of protein synthesis. The crystal structure of RRF was determined at 2.55 angstrom resolution. The protein has an unusual fold where domain I is a long three-helix bundle and domain II is a three-layer beta/alpha/beta sandwich. The molecule superimposes almost perfectly with a transfer RNA (tRNA) except that the amino acid-binding 3' end is missing. The mimicry suggests that RRF interacts with the posttermination ribosomal complex in a similar manner to a tRNA, leading to disassembly of the complex. The structural arrangement of this mimicry is entirely different from that of other cases of less pronounced mimicry of tRNA so far described.     

Leucine-tRNA initiates at CUG start codons for protein synthesis and presentation by MHC class I

Effective immune surveillance by cytotoxic T cells requires newly synthesized polypeptides for presentation by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. These polypeptides are produced not only from conventional AUG-initiated, but also from cryptic non-AUG-initiated, reading frames by distinct translational mechanisms. Biochemical analysis of ribosomal initiation complexes at CUG versus AUG initiation codons revealed that cells use an elongator leucine-bound transfer RNA (Leu-tRNA) to initiate translation at cryptic CUG start codons. CUG/Leu-tRNA initiation was independent of the canonical initiator tRNA (AUG/Met-tRNA(i)(Met)) pathway but required expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 2A. Thus, a tRNA-based translation initiation mechanism allows non-AUG-initiated protein synthesis and supplies peptides for presentation by MHC class I molecules.     

非洲猪瘟病毒MGF110-5L-6L蛋白诱导宿主细胞翻译阻滞和应激颗粒形成的作用机制

【背景】非洲猪瘟（African swine fever,ASF）是由非洲猪瘟病毒（African swine fever virus,ASFV）感染引发的一种猪烈性传染病,是全球公认的养猪业“头号杀手”,至今尚无安全有效的疫苗和药物。病毒作为专性细胞内寄生物,必须通过“劫持”宿主翻译系统为病毒蛋白合成服务。其中翻译起始因子eIF2α作为翻译调控的核心节点,控制细胞应激反应和翻译重编程走向,对病毒毒力、嗜性、致病性及免疫逃逸等具有重要影响,eIF2α磷酸化调控无疑是病毒与宿主细胞竞争翻译资源的重要阵地之一。然而,关于ASFV编码蛋白与eIF2α磷酸化作用关系的认知极度匮乏。【目的】探究非洲猪瘟病毒MGF110-5L-6L蛋白对宿主细胞翻译阻滞和促进应激颗粒形成的作用机制,为深入揭示非洲猪瘟病毒的致病机制研究提供科学依据。【方法】在前期利用荧光素酶报告基因载体和绿色荧光报告载体,筛选发现外源表达MGF110-5L-6L极显著上调eIF2α磷酸化水平的基础上。选择猪肺泡巨噬细胞3D4/21和猪肾细胞PK-15作为研究用细胞系,利用质粒转染和特异性化学药物处理等方法,结合免疫印迹和激光共聚焦...     

S6K1- and betaTRCP-mediated degradation of PDCD4 promotes protein translation and cell growth

The tumor suppressor programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) inhibits the translation initiation factor eIF4A, an RNA helicase that catalyzes the unwinding of secondary structure at the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). In response to mitogens, PDCD4 was rapidly phosphorylated on Ser67 by the protein kinase S6K1 and subsequently degraded via the ubiquitin ligase SCF(betaTRCP). Expression in cultured cells of a stable PDCD4 mutant that is unable to bind betaTRCP inhibited translation of an mRNA with a structured 5'UTR, resulted in smaller cell size, and slowed down cell cycle progression. We propose that regulated degradation of PDCD4 in response to mitogens allows efficient protein synthesis and consequently cell growth.