skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Elongation factor 4 remodels the A-site tRNA on the ribosome

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

During translation, a plethora of protein factors bind to the ribosome and regulate protein synthesis. Many of those factors are guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), proteins that catalyze the hydrolysis of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) to promote conformational changes. Despite numerous studies, the function of elongation factor 4 (EF-4/LepA), a highly conserved translational GTPase, has remained elusive. Here, we present the crystal structure at 2.6-Å resolution of the Thermus thermophilus 70S ribosome bound to EF-4 with a nonhydrolyzable GTP analog and A-, P-, and E-site tRNAs. The structure reveals the interactions of EF-4 with the A-site tRNA, including contacts between the C-terminal domain (CTD) of EF-4 and the acceptor helical stem of the tRNA. Remarkably, EF-4 induces a distortion of the A-site tRNA, allowing it to interact simultaneously with EF-4 and the decoding center of the ribosome. Furthermore, the structure provides insights into the tRNA-remodeling function of EF-4 on the ribosome and suggests that the displacement of the CCA-end of the A-site tRNA away from the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) is functionally significant.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities Division; National Inst. of Health
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; GM022778; P41 GM103403; S10 RR029205
OSTI ID:
1255296
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 113, Issue 18; ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 16 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (45)

Interrupted Catalysis: The EF4 (LepA) Effect on Back-Translocation journal March 2010
GTPase Mechanisms and Functions of Translation Factors on the Ribosome journal January 2000
Crystal Structures of EF-G–Ribosome Complexes Trapped in Intermediate States of Translocation journal June 2013
Ribosome-associated GTPases: The role of RNA for GTPase activation journal September 2010
Elongation Factor G Bound to the Ribosome in an Intermediate State of Translocation journal June 2013
Elongation factor 4 (EF4/LepA) accelerates protein synthesis at increased Mg2+ concentrations journal February 2011
Control of Ribosomal Subunit Rotation by Elongation Factor G journal June 2013
Crystal structure of the hybrid state of ribosome in complex with the guanosine triphosphatase release factor 3 journal September 2011
In Vivo Deuteration of Transfer RNAs: Overexpression and Large-Scale Purification of Deuterated Specific tRNAs journal January 1996
The paradox of elongation factor 4: highly conserved, yet of no physiological significance? journal May 2013
Translational termination comes of age journal November 2000
Crystal structure of release factor RF3 trapped in the GTP state on a rotated conformation of the ribosome journal December 2011
Ribosomal Elongation Factor 4 Promotes Cell Death Associated with Lethal Stress journal December 2014
Interaction of tRNA with 23S rRNA in the ribosomal A, P, and E sites journal May 1989
The conserved protein EF4 (LepA) modulates the elongation cycle of protein synthesis journal September 2011
Recognition of Cognate Transfer RNA by the 30S Ribosomal Subunit journal May 2001
Structural insights on the translation initiation complex: ghosts of a universal initiation complex journal February 2007
The ribosome triggers the stringent response by RelA via a highly distorted tRNA journal July 2013
Structures of the Bacterial Ribosome in Classical and Hybrid States of tRNA Binding journal May 2011
The structure of LepA, the ribosomal back translocase journal March 2008
PHENIX : building new software for automated crystallographic structure determination journal October 2002
Selection of tRNA by the Ribosome Requires a Transition from an Open to a Closed Form journal November 2002
The conserved GTPase LepA contributes mainly to translation initiation in Escherichia coli journal November 2014
EF4 knockout E. coli cells exhibit lower levels of cellular biosynthesis under acidic stress journal April 2014
EF4 disengages the peptidyl-tRNA CCA end and facilitates back-translocation on the 70S ribosome journal January 2016
Crystal structure of elongation factor 4 bound to a clockwise ratcheted ribosome journal August 2014
Mechanical force releases nascent chain-mediated ribosome arrest in vitro and in vivo journal April 2015
Translation factor LepA contributes to tellurite resistance in Escherichia coli but plays no apparent role in the fidelity of protein synthesis journal February 2010
Thiostrepton inhibits stable 70S ribosome binding and ribosome-dependent GTPase activation of elongation factor G and elongation factor 4 journal September 2011
A proton wire to couple aminoacyl-tRNA accommodation and peptide-bond formation on the ribosome journal August 2014
The crystal structure of unmodified tRNA Phe from Escherichia coli journal March 2010
A new tRNA intermediate revealed on the ribosome during EF4-mediated back-translocation journal August 2008
Elongation factors on the ribosome journal June 2005
Structure of the 70S Ribosome Complexed with mRNA and tRNA journal September 2006
The Crystal Structure of the Ribosome Bound to EF-Tu and Aminoacyl-tRNA journal October 2009
Automatic processing of rotation diffraction data from crystals of initially unknown symmetry and cell constants journal December 1993
Identification of Two Structural Elements Important for Ribosome-Dependent GTPase Activity of Elongation Factor 4 (EF4/LepA) journal February 2015
Ribosome engineering to promote new crystal forms journal April 2012
Effect of variation of charged and uncharged tRNA(Trp) levels on ppGpp synthesis in Escherichia coli. journal January 1989
Phaser crystallographic software journal July 2007
Structural Basis of the Translational Elongation Cycle journal June 2013
Conformational Changes of Elongation Factor G on the Ribosome during tRNA Translocation journal January 2015
Synthesis of Guanosine Tetra- and Pentaphosphate Requires the Presence of a Codon-Specific, Uncharged Transfer Ribonucleic Acid in the Acceptor Site of Ribosomes journal May 1973
The Highly Conserved LepA Is a Ribosomal Elongation Factor that Back-Translocates the Ribosome journal November 2006
MSI and MSII made on Ribosome in Idling Step of Protein Synthesis journal August 1972

Cited By (6)

Structural basis for ribosome recycling by RRF and tRNA journal December 2019
Conserved GTPase LepA (Elongation Factor 4) functions in biogenesis of the 30S subunit of the 70S ribosome journal January 2017
Translation Elongation Factor 4 (LepA) Contributes to Tetracycline Susceptibility by Stalling Elongating Ribosomes journal May 2018
Ribosome Structure, Function, and Early Evolution journal December 2018
Similarity and diversity of translational GTPase factors EF-G, EF4, and BipA: From structure to function journal November 2016
Retraction for Liu and Chen, “Translation Elongation Factor 4 (LepA) Contributes to Tetracycline Susceptibility by Stalling Elongating Ribosomes” journal February 2019