scholarly journals GCN-2 dependent inhibition of protein synthesis activates osmosensitive gene transcription via WNK and Ste20 kinase signaling

2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (12) ◽  
pp. C1269-C1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Choung-Hee Lee ◽  
Kevin Strange
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Kinase Signaling ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation ◽  
Hypertonic Stress ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Initiation Factors ◽  
Inhibition Of Protein Synthesis ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factors

Increased gpdh-1 transcription is required for accumulation of the organic osmolyte glycerol and survival of Caenorhabditis elegans during hypertonic stress. Our previous work has shown that regulators of gpdh-1 ( rgpd) gene knockdown constitutively activates gpdh-1 expression. Fifty-five rgpd genes play essential roles in translation suggesting that inhibition of protein synthesis is an important signal for regulating osmoprotective gene transcription. We demonstrate here that translation is reduced dramatically by hypertonic stress or knockdown of rgpd genes encoding aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs). Toxin-induced inhibition of translation also activates gpdh-1 expression. Hypertonicity-induced translation inhibition is mediated by general control nonderepressible (GCN)-2 kinase signaling and eIF-2α phosphoryation. Loss of gcn-1 or gcn-2 function prevents eIF-2α phosphorylation, completely blocks reductions in translation, and inhibits gpdh-1 transcription. gpdh-1 expression is regulated by the highly conserved with-no-lysine kinase (WNK) and Ste20 kinases WNK-1 and GCK-3, which function in the GCN-2 signaling pathway downstream from eIF-2α phosphorylation. Our previous work has shown that hypertonic stress causes rapid and dramatic protein damage in C. elegans and that inhibition of translation reduces this damage. The current studies demonstrate that reduced translation also serves as an essential signal for activation of WNK-1/GCK-3 kinase signaling and subsequent transcription of gpdh-1 and possibly other osmoprotective genes.

scholarly journals Cleavage of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4G and inhibition of host-cell protein synthesis during feline calicivirus infection

2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 1125-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret M. Willcocks ◽  
Michael J. Carter ◽  
Lisa O. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Cellular Protein ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Cell Protein ◽  
Feline Calicivirus ◽  
Host Cell Protein ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation ◽  
Initiation Factors ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factors

Caliciviruses are small, non-enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses that are pathogenic for both animals and man. Although their capsid structure and genomic organization are distinct from picornaviruses, they have similarities to these viruses in their non-structural proteins. Picornaviruses induce a rapid inhibition of host-cell cap-dependent protein synthesis and this is mainly achieved through cleavage of eIF4G and/or dephosphorylation of 4E-BP1. In this study, the effect of calicivirus infection was examined on host-cell protein synthesis in order to determine whether they also induce host shut-off. We report that infection of cells with feline calicivirus (FCV) leads to the inhibition of cellular protein synthesis. This is accompanied by the cleavage of the eukaryotic translation initiation factors eIF4GI and eIF4GII in a manner reminiscent of that induced by picornaviruses. However, the cleavages occur at different sites. The potential mechanisms of these cleavage events and the implications for the translation of calicivirus mRNA are discussed.

scholarly journals Dynamic competition between SARS-CoV-2 NSP1 and mRNA on the human ribosome inhibits translation initiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. e2017715118
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Lapointe ◽  
Rosslyn Grosely ◽  
Alex G. Johnson ◽  
Jinfan Wang ◽  
Israel S. Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Translation Initiation ◽  
Ribosomal Subunit ◽  
Start Codon ◽  
Messenger Rnas ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation ◽  
Initiation Factors ◽  
Translation Initiation Factors ◽  
40S Ribosomal Subunit ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factors

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a beta-CoV that recently emerged as a human pathogen and is the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. A molecular framework of how the virus manipulates host cellular machinery to facilitate infection remains unclear. Here, we focus on SARS-CoV-2 NSP1, which is proposed to be a virulence factor that inhibits protein synthesis by directly binding the human ribosome. We demonstrate biochemically that NSP1 inhibits translation of model human and SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNAs (mRNAs). NSP1 specifically binds to the small (40S) ribosomal subunit, which is required for translation inhibition. Using single-molecule fluorescence assays to monitor NSP1–40S subunit binding in real time, we determine that eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs) allosterically modulate the interaction of NSP1 with ribosomal preinitiation complexes in the absence of mRNA. We further elucidate that NSP1 competes with RNA segments downstream of the start codon to bind the 40S subunit and that the protein is unable to associate rapidly with 80S ribosomes assembled on an mRNA. Collectively, our findings support a model where NSP1 proteins from viruses in at least two subgenera of beta-CoVs associate with the open head conformation of the 40S subunit to inhibit an early step of translation, by preventing accommodation of mRNA within the entry channel.

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