Eukaryotic Translational and Post-translational Gene Regulation

The Initiation Complex and Translation Rate

Like transcription, translation is controlled by proteins that bind and initiate the process. In translation, the complex that assembles to start the process is referred to as the translation initiation complex. In eukaryotes, translation is initiated by binding the initiating met-tRNAi to the 40S ribosome. This tRNA is brought to the 40S ribosome by a protein initiation factor, eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF-2). The eIF-2 protein binds to the high-energy molecule guanosine triphosphate (GTP). The tRNA-eIF2-GTP complex then binds to the 40S ribosome. A second complex forms on the mRNA. Several different initiation factors recognize the 5' cap of the mRNA and proteins bound to the poly-A tail of the same mRNA, forming the mRNA into a loop. The cap-binding protein eIF4F brings the mRNA complex together with the 40S ribosome complex. The ribosome then scans along the mRNA until it finds a start codon AUG. When the anticodon of the initiator tRNA and the start codon are aligned, the GTP is hydrolyzed, the initiation factors are released, and the large 60S ribosomal subunit binds to form the translation complex. The binding of eIF-2 to the RNA is controlled by phosphorylation. If eIF-2 is phosphorylated, it undergoes a conformational change and cannot bind to GTP. Therefore, the initiation complex cannot form properly and translation is impeded (Figure). When eIF-2 remains unphosphorylated, the initiation complex can form normally and translation can proceed.

Art Connection

The eIF2 protein is a translation factor that binds to the small 40S ribosome subunit. When eIF2 is phosphorylated, translation is blocked.
Gene expression can be controlled by factors that bind the translation initiation complex.

An increase in phosphorylation levels of eIF-2 has been observed in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. What impact do you think this might have on protein synthesis?

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