title: Functional implications related to the gene structure of the elongation factor EF-Tu from Halobacterium marismortui.
abstract: The primary structure of the gene for the elongation factor EF-Tu from the halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui (hEF-Tu) is described. It is the first gene of a halophilic elongation factor EF-Tu to be sequenced. When the sequence of hEF-Tu is compared to that of homologous proteins from other organisms, the highest identity (61%) is found with EF-Tu from Methanococcus vannielii, a non-halophilic archaebacterium. In the search for halophilic characteristics therefore the most appropriate comparison is with the M. vannielii sequence. The excess of acidic amino acid residues in the hEF-Tu sequence (already observed in the composition of other halophilic proteins) results to a large extent from changes of Lys, Asn or Gln to Asp or Glu. A structural analysis algorithm applied to the halophilic sequence places these acidic residues on the surface of the protein. The corresponding residues in the crystal structure of the first domain of EF-Tu from E. coli (the only EF-Tu structure available) are grouped in patches on the protein surface, in each of which several residues that may be far apart in the sequence come quite close to each other in the tertiary structure.
authors.affiliation: GBGM, CNRS UPR 272, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baldacci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guinet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tillit
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaccai
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Recondo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D001482:Base Composition; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006217:Halobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000235:genetics*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu