No abstract

Protein synthesis is the ultimate step of gene expression and a key control point for regulation. In particular, it enables cells to rapidly manipulate protein production without new mRNA synthesis, processing, or export. Recent studies have enhanced our understanding of the translation initiation process and helped elucidate how modifications of the general translational machinery regulate gene-specific protein production.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of non-A non-B hepatitis and a leading cause of liver dysfunction worldwide. While the current therapy for chronic HCV infection is parenteral administration of type 1 interferon (IFN), only a fraction of HCV-infected individuals completely respond to treatment. Previous studies have correlated the IFN sensitivity of strain HCV-1b with mutations within a discrete region of the viral nonstructural 5A protein (NS5A), termed the interferon sensitivity determining region (ISDR), suggesting that NS5A may contribute to the IFN-resistant phenotype of HCV. To determine the importance of HCV NS5A and the NS5A ISDR in mediating HCV IFN resistance, we tested whether the NS5A protein could regulate the IFN-induced protein kinase, PKR, a mediator of IFN-induced antiviral resistance and a target of viral and cellular inhibitors. Using multiple approaches, including biochemical, transfection, and yeast genetics analyses, we can now report that NS5A represses PKR through a direct interaction with the protein kinase catalytic domain and that both PKR repression and interaction requires the ISDR. Thus, inactivation of PKR may be one mechanism by which HCV avoids the antiviral effects of IFN. Finally the inhibition of the PKR protein kinase, by NS5A is the first described function for this HCV protein.

SUMMARY Translation factor eIF5A, containing the unique amino acid hypusine, was originally shown to stimulate methionyl-puromycin synthesis, a model assay for peptide bond formation. More recently, eIF5A was shown to promote translation elongation; however, its precise requirement in protein synthesis has remained elusive. Here we use in vivo assays in yeast and in vitro reconstituted translation assays to reveal a specific requirement for eIF5A to promote peptide-bond formation between consecutive proline residues. Addition of eIF5A relieves ribosomal stalling during translation of three consecutive proline residues in vitro, and loss of eIF5A function impairs translation of polyproline-containing proteins in vivo. Hydroxyl radical probing experiments localized eIF5A near the E site of the ribosome with its hypusine residue adjacent to the acceptor stem of the P-site tRNA. Thus, eIF5A, like its bacterial ortholog EFP, is proposed to stimulate the peptidyl-transferase activity of the ribosome and facilitate the reactivity of poor substrates like proline.

Ire1 is an ancient transmembrane sensor of ER stress with dual protein kinase and ribonuclease activities. In response to ER stress, Ire1 catalyzes the splicing of target mRNAs in a spliceosome-independent manner. We have determined the crystal structure of the dual catalytic region of Ire1at 2.4 A resolution, revealing the fusion of a domain, which we term the KEN domain, to the protein kinase domain. Dimerization of the kinase domain composes a large catalytic surface on the KEN domain which carries out ribonuclease function. We further show that signal induced trans-autophosphorylation of the kinase domain permits unfettered binding of nucleotide, which in turn promotes dimerization to compose the ribonuclease active site. Comparison of Ire1 to a topologically disparate ribonuclease reveals the convergent evolution of their catalytic mechanism. These findings provide a basis for understanding the mechanism of action of RNaseL and other pseudokinases, which represent 10% of the human kinome.

SUMMARY The eukaryotic translation factor eIF5A, originally identified as an initiation factor, was later shown to promote translation elongation of iterated proline sequences. Using a combination of ribosome profiling and in vitro biochemistry, we report a much broader role for eIF5A in elongation and uncover a critical function for eIF5A in termination. Ribosome profiling of an eIF5A-depleted strain reveals a global elongation defect, with abundant ribosomes stalling at many sequences, not limited to proline stretches. Our data also show ribosome accumulation at stop codons and in the 3′ UTR, suggesting a global defect in termination in the absence of eIF5A. Using an in vitro reconstituted translation system, we find that eIF5A strongly promotes the translation of the stalling sequences identified by profiling and increases the rate of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis more than 17-fold. We conclude that eIF5A functions broadly in elongation and termination, rationalizing its high cellular abundance and essential nature.

In response to binding viral double-stranded RNA byproducts within a cell, the RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR phosphorylates the alpha subunit of the translation initiation factor eIF2 on a regulatory site, Ser51. This triggers the general shutdown of protein synthesis and inhibition of viral propagation. To understand the basis for substrate recognition by and the regulation of PKR, we determined X-ray crystal structures of the catalytic domain of PKR in complex with eIF2alpha. The structures reveal that eIF2alpha binds to the C-terminal catalytic lobe while catalytic-domain dimerization is mediated by the N-terminal lobe. In addition to inducing a local unfolding of the Ser51 acceptor site in eIF2alpha, its mode of binding to PKR affords the Ser51 site full access to the catalytic cleft of PKR. The generality and implications of the structural mechanisms uncovered for PKR to the larger family of four human eIF2alpha protein kinases are discussed.

Translation elongation factors facilitate protein synthesis by the ribosome. Previous studies identified two universally conserved translation elongation factors EF-Tu/eEF1A and EF-G/eEF2 that deliver aminoacyl-tRNAs to the ribosome and promote ribosomal translocation, respectively1. The factor eIF5A, the sole protein in eukaryotes and archaea containing the unusual amino acid hypusine [Nε-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine]2, was originally identified based on its ability to stimulate the yield (endpoint) of methionyl-puromycin synthesis, a model assay for first peptide bond synthesis thought to report on certain aspects of translation initiation3,4. Hypusine is required for eIF5A to associate with ribosomes5,6, and to stimulate methionyl-puromycin synthesis7. As eIF5A did not stimulate earlier steps of translation initiation8, and depletion of eIF5A in yeast only modestly impaired protein synthesis9, it was proposed that eIF5A function was limited to stimulating synthesis of the first peptide bond or that eIF5A functioned on only a subset of cellular mRNAs. However, the precise cellular role of eIF5A is unknown, and the protein has also been linked to mRNA decay, including the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway10,11, and to nucleocytoplasmic transport12,13. Here we show using molecular genetic and biochemical studies that eIF5A promotes translation elongation. Depletion or inactivation of eIF5A in yeast resulted in the accumulation of polysomes and an increase in ribosomal transit times. Addition of recombinant eIF5A from yeast, but not a derivative lacking hypusine, enhanced the rate of tripeptide synthesis in vitro. Moreover, inactivation of eIF5A mimicked the effects of the eEF2 inhibitor sordarin, indicating that eIF5A might function together with eEF2 to promote ribosomal translocation. As eIF5A is a structural homolog of the bacterial protein EF-P14,15, we propose that eIF5A/EF-P is a universally conserved translation elongation factor.