title: Molecular, functional and structural properties of an archaebacterial elongation factor 2.
abstract: The elongation factor 2 (aEF-2) from the extreme thermo-acidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus, is the only cytosolic target protein which is ADP-ribosylated by diphtheria toxin in presence of NAD. Once ADP-ribosylated, aEF-2 is no longer able to sustain poly(Phe) synthesis in vitro. aEF-2 displays a great thermoresistance: at the growth temperature of the archaebacterium, 87 degrees C, its half-life is 3 h. The amino acid sequence of the N-terminal region of aEF-2 has been determined up to residue 22. In the first 15 positions such a sequence is identical to that of EF-2 from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and very similar to that of EF-2 from other archaebacteria or eukaryotes. The same is true for the primary structure of the peptide containing the ADP-ribosylation site. The fact that the primary structure of EF-2 at the ADP-ribosylation site is highly conserved ensures either the correct recognition of the histidine residue by the enzymes involved in its modification to diphthamide, or the proper interaction with the diphtheria toxin.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raimo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masullo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dello Russo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bocchini
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001105:Archaea / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides; D011072:Poly U / Q000378:metabolism; D012266:Ribose / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors; D010455:Peptides; D011072:Poly U; C012001:polyphenylalanine; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D012266:Ribose