A conserved motif within the flexible C-terminus of the translational regulator 4E-BP is required for tight binding to the mRNA cap-binding protein eIF4E

Biochem J. 2012 Jan 1;441(1):237-45. doi: 10.1042/BJ20101481.

Abstract

Although the central α-helical Y(X)4LΦ motif (X, variable amino acid; Φ, hydrophobic amino acid) of the translational regulator 4E-BP [eIF (eukaryotic initiation factor) 4E-binding protein] is the core binding region for the mRNA cap-binding protein eIF4E, the functions of its N- and C-terminal flexible regions for interaction with eIF4E remain to be elucidated. To identify the role for the C-terminal region in such an interaction, the binding features of full-length and sequential C-terminal deletion mutants of 4E-BPn (n=1-3) subtypes were investigated by SPR (surface plasmon resonance) analysis and ITC (isothermal titration calorimetry). Consequently, the conserved PGVTS/T motif within the C-terminal region was shown to act as the second binding region and to play an important role in the tight binding to eIF4E. The 4E-BP subtypes increased the association constant with eIF4E by approximately 1000-fold in the presence of this conserved region compared with that in the absence of this region. The sequential deletion of this conserved region in 4E-BP1 showed that deletion of Val81 leads to a considerable decrease in the binding ability of 4E-BP. Molecular dynamics simulation suggested that the conserved PGVTS/T region functions as a kind of paste, adhering the root of both the eIF4E N-terminal and 4E-BP C-terminal flexible regions through a hydrophobic interaction, where valine is located at the crossing position of both flexible regions. It is concluded that the conserved PGVTS/T motif within the flexible C-terminus of 4E-BP plays an auxiliary, but indispensable, role in strengthening the binding of eIF4E to the core Y(X)4LΦ motif.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Escherichia coli
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E / genetics
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E / metabolism*
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factors / genetics
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factors / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*

Substances

  • EIF4EBP2 protein, human
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factors
  • RNA, Messenger