A conserved HEAT domain within eIF4G directs assembly of the translation initiation machinery.
Marcotrigiano, J., Lomakin, I.B., Sonenberg, N., Pestova, T.V., Hellen, C.U., Burley, S.K.(2001) Mol Cell 7: 193-203
- PubMed: 11172724
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s1097-2765(01)00167-8
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1HU3 - PubMed Abstract:
The X-ray structure of the phylogenetically conserved middle portion of human eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4GII has been determined at 2.4 A resolution, revealing a crescent-shaped domain consisting of ten alpha helices arranged as five HEAT repeats. Together with the ATP-dependent RNA helicase eIF4A, this HEAT domain suffices for 48S ribosomal complex formation with a picornaviral RNA internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Structure-based site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify two adjacent features on the surface of this essential component of the translation initiation machinery that, respectively, bind eIF4A and a picornaviral IRES. The structural and biochemical results provide mechanistic insights into both cap-dependent and cap-independent translation initiation.
Organizational Affiliation:
Laboratories of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.