eIF4B stimulates translation of long mRNAs with structured 5' UTRs and low closed-loop potential but weak dependence on eIF4G (original) (raw)

The Eukaryotic Initiation Factor (eIF) 4G HEAT Domain Promotes Translation Re-initiation in Yeast Both Dependent on and Independent of eIF4A mRNA Helicase

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2010

Translation re-initiation provides the molecular basis for translational control of mammalian ATF4 and yeast GCN4 mediated by short upstream open reading (uORFs) in response to eIF2 phosphorylation. eIF4G is the major adaptor subunit of eIF4F that binds the cap-binding subunit eIF4E and the mRNA helicase eIF4A and is also required for re-initiation in mammals. Here we show that the yeast eIF4G2 mutations altering eIF4Eand eIF4A-binding sites increase re-initiation at GCN4 and impair recognition of the start codons of uORF1 or uORF4 located after uORF1. The increase in re-initiation at GCN4 was partially suppressed by increasing the distance between uORF1 and GCN4, suggesting that the mutations decrease the migration rate of the scanning ribosome in the GCN4 leader. Interestingly, eIF4E overexpression suppressed both the phenotypes caused by the mutation altering eIF4E-binding site. Thus, eIF4F is required for accurate AUG selection and re-initiation also in yeast, and the eIF4G interaction with the mRNA-cap appears to promote eIF4F re-acquisition by the re-initiating 40 S subunit. However, eIF4A overexpression suppressed the impaired AUG recognition but not the increase in re-initiation caused by the mutations altering eIF4A-binding site. These results not only provide evidence that mRNA unwinding by eIF4A stimulates start codon recognition, but also suggest that the eIF4A-binding site on eIF4G made of the HEAT domain stimulates the ribosomal scanning independent of eIF4A. Based on the RNA-binding activities identified within the unstructured segments flanking the eIF4G2 HEAT domain, we discuss the role of the HEAT domain in scanning beyond loading eIF4A onto the pre-initiation complex.

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E wears a “cap” for many occasions

Translation, 2016

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E plays important roles in controlling the composition of the proteome. Indeed, dysregulation of eIF4E is associated with poor prognosis cancers. The traditional view has been that eIF4E acts solely in translation. However, over the last »25 years, eIF4E was found in the nucleus where it acts in mRNA export and in the last »10 years, eIF4E was found in cytoplasmic processing bodies (P-bodies) where it functions in mRNA sequestration and stability. The common biochemical thread for these activities is the ability of eIF4E to bind the 7methylguanosine cap on the 5 0 end of mRNAs. Recently, the possibility that eIF4E directly binds some mRNA elements independently of the cap has also been raised. Importantly, the effects of eIF4E are not genome-wide with a subset of transcripts targeted depending on the presence of specific mRNA elements and context-dependent regulatory factors. Indeed, eIF4E governs RNA regulons through co-regulating the expression of groups of transcripts acting in the same biochemical pathways. In addition, studies over the past »15 years indicate that there are multiple strategies that regulatory factors employ to modulate eIF4E activities in context-dependent manners. This perspective focuses on these new findings and incorporates them into a broader model for eIF4E function.

Requirement of RNA Binding of Mammalian Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4GI (eIF4GI) for Efficient Interaction of eIF4E with the mRNA Cap

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2009

Eukaryotic mRNAs possess a 5-terminal cap structure (cap), m 7 GpppN, which facilitates ribosome binding. The cap is bound by eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F (eIF4F), which is composed of eIF4E, eIF4G, and eIF4A. eIF4E is the cap-binding subunit, eIF4A is an RNA helicase, and eIF4G is a scaffolding protein that bridges between the mRNA and ribosome. eIF4G contains an RNA-binding domain, which was suggested to stimulate eIF4E interaction with the cap in mammals. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however, such an effect was not observed. Here, we used recombinant proteins to reconstitute the cap binding of the mammalian eIF4E-eIF4GI complex to investigate the importance of the RNA-binding region of eIF4GI for cap interaction with eIF4E. We demonstrate that chemical cross-linking of eIF4E to the cap structure is dramatically enhanced by eIF4GI fragments possessing RNA-binding activity. Furthermore, the fusion of RNA recognition motif 1 (RRM1) of the La autoantigen to the N terminus of eIF4GI confers enhanced association between the cap structure and eIF4E. These results demonstrate that eIF4GI serves to anchor eIF4E to the mRNA and enhance its interaction with the cap structure.

The translation initiation factor eIF-4B contains an RNA-binding region that is distinct and independent from its ribonucleoprotein consensus sequence

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 1994

eIF-4B is a eukaryotic translation initiation factor that is required for the binding of ribosomes to mRNAs and the stimulation of the helicase activity of eIF-4A. It is an RNA-binding protein that contains a ribonucleoprotein consensus sequence (RNP-CS)/RNA recognition motif (RRM). We examined the effects of deletions and point mutations on the ability of eIF-4B to bind a random RNA, to cooperate with eIF-4A in RNA binding, and to enhance the helicase activity of eIF-4A. We report here that the RNP-CS/RRM alone is not sufficient for eIF-4B binding to RNA and that an RNA-binding region, located between amino acids 367 and 423, is the major contributor to RNA binding. Deletions which remove this region abolish the ability of eIF-4B to cooperate with eIF-4A in RNA binding and the ability to stimulate the helicase activity of eIF-4A. Point mutations in the RNP-CS/RRM had no effect on the ability of eIF-4B to cooperate with eIF-4A in RNA binding but significantly reduced the stimulation...

Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4AIII (eIF4AIII) Is Functionally Distinct from eIF4AI and eIF4AII

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 1999

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is an RNA-dependent ATPase and ATP-dependent RNA helicase that is thought to melt the 5′ proximal secondary structure of eukaryotic mRNAs to facilitate attachment of the 40S ribosomal subunit. eIF4A functions in a complex termed eIF4F with two other initiation factors (eIF4E and eIF4G). Two isoforms of eIF4A, eIF4AI and eIF4AII, which are encoded by two different genes, are functionally indistinguishable. A third member of the eIF4A family, eIF4AIII, whose human homolog exhibits 65% amino acid identity to human eIF4AI, has also been cloned from Xenopus and tobacco, but its function in translation has not been characterized. In this study, human eIF4AIII was characterized biochemically. While eIF4AIII, like eIF4AI, exhibits RNA-dependent ATPase activity and ATP-dependent RNA helicase activity, it fails to substitute for eIF4AI in an in vitro-reconstituted 40S ribosome binding assay. Instead, eIF4AIII inhibits translation in a reticulocyte lysat...

Dominant negative mutants of mammalian translation initiation factor eIF-4A define a critical role for eIF-4F in cap-dependent and cap-independent initiation of translation

The EMBO Journal, 1994

Communicated by J.Schlessinger Eukaryotic translation initiation factor4A (eLF4A) plays a critical role in binding of eukaryotic mRNAs to ribosomes. It has been biochemically characterized as an RNA-dependent ATPase and RNA helicase and is a prototype for a growing family of putative RNA helicases termed the DEAD box family. It is required for mRNA-ribosome binding both in its free form and as a subunit of the cap binding protein complex, eIF-4F. To gain further understanding into the mechanism of action of eIF-4A in mRNA-ribosome binding, defective eIF-4A mutants were tested for their abilities to function in a dominant negative manner in a rabbit reticulocyte translation system. Several mutants were demonstrated to be potent inhibitors of translation. Addition of mutant eI]F4A to a rabbit reticulocyte translation system strongly inhibited translation of all mRNAs studied including those translated by a cap-independent internal initiation mechanism. Addition of eIF4A or eIF-4F relieved inhibition of translation, but eIF-4F was six times more effective than eIF-4A, whereas eIF-4B or other translation factors failed to relieve the inhibition. Kinetic experiments demonstrated that mutant eIF-4A is defective in recycling through eIF-4F, thus explaining the dramatic inhibition of translation. Mutant eIF-4A proteins also inhibited eEF-4F-dependent, but not eIF-4Adependent RNA helicase activity. Taken together these results suggest that eIF-4A functions primarily as a subunit of eIF-4F, and that singular eIF-4A is required to recycle through the complex during translation. Surprisingly, eIF-4F, which binds to the cap structure, appears to be also required for the translation of naturally uncapped mRNAs.

Functional diversity of the eukaryotic translation initiation factors belonging to eIF4 families

Mechanisms of Development, 2005

Protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells is fundamental for gene expression. This process involves the binding of an mRNA molecule to the small ribosomal subunit in a group of reactions catalyzed by eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIF) eIF4. To date, the role of each of the four eIF4, i.e. eIF4E, eIF4G, eIF4A and eIF4B, is well established. However, with the advent of genome-wide sequencing projects of various organisms, families of genes for each translation initiation factor have been identified. Intriguingly, recent studies have now established that certain eIF4 proteins can promote or inhibit translation of specific mRNAs, and also that some of them are active in processes other than translation. In addition, there is evidence of tissue-and developmental-stage-specific expression for some of these proteins. These new findings point to an additional level of complexity in the translation initiation process. In this review, we analyze the latest advances concerning the functionality of members of the eIF4 families in eukaryotic organisms and discuss the implications of this in the context of our current understanding of regulation of the translation initiation process.

Specific Domains in Yeast Translation Initiation Factor eIF4G Strongly Bias RNA Unwinding Activity of the eIF4F Complex toward Duplexes with 5 '-Overhangs

Journal of Biological Chemistry

During eukaryotic translation initiation, the 43 S ribosomal pre-initiation complex is recruited to the 5′-end of an mRNA through its interaction with the 7-methylguanosine cap, and it subsequently scans along the mRNA to locate the start codon. Both mRNA recruitment and scanning require the removal of secondary structure within the mRNA. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A is an essential component of the translational machinery thought to participate in the clearing of secondary structural elements in the 5′-untranslated regions of mRNAs. eIF4A is part of the 5′-7-methylguanosine cap-binding complex, eIF4F, along with eIF4E, the cap-binding protein, and the scaffolding protein eIF4G. Here, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF4F has a strong preference for unwinding an RNA duplex with a single-stranded 5′-overhang versus the same duplex with a 3′-overhang or without an overhang. In contrast, eIF4A on its own has little RNA substrate specificity. Using a series of delet...