title: Improper organization of the actin cytoskeleton affects protein synthesis at initiation.
abstract: Although the actin cytoskeleton and the translation machinery are considered to be separate cellular complexes, growing evidence supports overlapping regulation of the two systems. Because of its interaction with actin, the eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) is proposed to be a regulator or link between these processes. Using a genetic approach with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, specific regions of eEF1A responsible for actin interactions and bundling were identified. Five new mutations were identified along one face of eEF1A. Dramatic changes in cell growth, cell morphology, and actin cable and patch formation as well as a unique effect on total translation in strains expressing the F308L or S405P eEF1A mutant form were observed. The translation effects do not correlate with reduced translation elongation but instead include an initiation defect. Biochemical analysis of the eEF1A mutant forms demonstrated reduced actin-bundling activity in vitro. Reduced total translation and/or the accumulation of 80S ribosomes in strains with either a mutation or a null allele of genes encoding actin itself or actin-regulating proteins Tpm1p, Mdm20p, and Bnirp/Bni1p was observed. Our data demonstrate that eEF1A, other actin binding proteins, and actin mutants affect translation initiation through the actin cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Stephane R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Terri Goss
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kinzy
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000483:Alleles; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins