To study the role of the diphthamide modification on eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), we generated an eEF2 Gly 717 Arg mutant mouse, in which the first step of diphthamide biosynthesis is prevented. Interestingly, the Gly 717 -to-Arg mutation partially compensates the eEF2 functional loss resulting from diphthamide deficiency, possibly because the added +1 charge compensates for the loss of the +1 charge on diphthamide. Therefore, in contrast to mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from OVCA1 −/− mice, eEF2 G717R/G717R MEFs retain full activity in polypeptide elongation and have normal growth rates. Furthermore, eEF2 G717R/G717R mice showed milder phenotypes than OVCA1 −/− mice (which are 100% embryonic lethal) and a small fraction survived to adulthood without obvious abnormalities. Moreover, eEF2 G717R/G717R /OVCA1 −/− double mutant mice displayed the milder phenotypes of the eEF2 G717R/G717R mice, suggesting that the embryonic lethality of OVCA1 −/− mice is due to diphthamide deficiency. We confirmed that the diphthamide modification is essential for eEF2 to prevent −1 frameshifting during translation and show that the Gly 717 -to-Arg mutation cannot rescue this defect. E ukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) is a member of the GTPbinding translation elongation factor family, and an essential factor for protein synthesis and cell survival. eEF2 drives the GTP-dependent translocation of the nascent polypeptide chain from the A site to the P site of the ribosome and advances mRNA by three bases during the elongation cycle of protein synthesis (1). eEF2 is highly homologous in all eukaryotes. In fact, eEF2 of humans, rats, mice, hamsters, and other mammals have exactly the same amino acid sequence. Intriguingly, all eukaryotic eEF2 proteins contain a unique posttranslationally modified histidine residue termed diphthamide (2, 3). Diphthamide modification occurs after eEF2 is translated and is irreversible, marking the completion of the biosynthesis of eEF2.Although the physiological role of the diphthamide modification on eEF2 remains elusive, diphthamide is the well-known target for the adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylating toxins from bacterial pathogens, such as diphtheria toxin (DT) from Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Pseudomonas exotoxin A (ETA) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the recently identified cholix toxin (CT) from Vibrio cholerae (4). As virulence factors, these ADP-ribosylating toxins catalyze transfer of the ADP ribose from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) to diphthamide on eEF2 (Fig. S1), thus inactivating eEF2, halting cellular protein synthesis, and causing cell death.Because the diphthamide modification is required for the action of the ADP-ribosylating toxins, the complex diphthamide biosynthesis pathway is amenable to genetic analysis, and mutants defective in diphthamide biosynthesis have been isolated in both Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) by selection for resistance to DT or an engineered ADP-ribosylating toxin − anthrax protective a...
Saponin Targeted toxin A B S T R A C TTumor-targeting protein toxins are composed of a toxic enzyme coupled to a specific cell binding domain that targets cancer-associated antigens. The anti-tumor treatment by targeted toxins is accompanied by dose-limiting side effects. The future prospects of targeted toxins for therapeutic use in humans will be determined by reduce side effects. Certain plant secondary metabolites (saponins) were shown to increase the efficacy of a particular epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted toxin, paralleled by a tremendous decrease of side effects.This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of substituting different toxin moieties fused to an EGF ligand binding domain on the augmentative ability of saponins for each against therapeutic potential of the saponin-mediated efficacy increase for different anti-tumor toxins targeting the EGFR.We designed several EGFR-targeted toxins varying in the toxic moiety. Each targeted toxin was used in combination with a purified saponin (SA1641), isolated from the ornamental plant Gypsophila paniculata L. SA1641 was characterized and the SA1641-mediated efficacy increase was investigated on EGFR-transfected NIH-3T3 cells.We observed a high dependency of the SA1641-mediated efficacy increase on the nature of toxin used for the construction of the targeted toxin, indicating high specificity.Structural alignments revealed a high homology between saporin and dianthin-30, the two toxic moieties that benefit most from the combination with SA1641.We further demonstrate that SA1641 did not influence the plasma membrane permeability,
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