title: Characterization of the interaction between the nucleotide exchange factor EF-Ts from nematode mitochondria and elongation factor Tu.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans mitochondria have two elongation factor (EF)-Tu species, denoted EF-Tu1 and EF-Tu2. Recombinant nematode EF-Ts purified from Escherichia coli bound both of these molecules and also stimulated the translational activity of EF-Tu, indicating that the nematode EF-Ts homolog is a functional EF-Ts protein of mitochondria. Complexes formed by the interaction of nematode EF-Ts with EF-Tu1 and EF-Tu2 could be detected by native gel electrophoresis and purified by gel filtration. Although the nematode mitochondrial (mt) EF-Tu molecules are extremely unstable and easily form aggregates, native gel electrophoresis and gel filtration analysis revealed that EF-Tu.EF-Ts complexes are significantly more soluble. This indicates that nematode EF-Ts can be used to stabilize homologous EF-Tu molecules for experimental purposes. The EF-Ts bound to two eubacterial EF-Tu species (E.coli and Thermus thermophilus). Although the EF-Ts did not bind to bovine mt EF-Tu, it could bind to a chimeric nematode-bovine EF-Tu molecule containing domains 1 and 2 from bovine mt EF-Tu. Thus, the nematode EF-Ts appears to have a broad specificity for EF-Tu molecules from different species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtsuki
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kimitsuna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006153:Guanosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C023512:elongation factor Ts; D006153:Guanosine Diphosphate; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu