Poster abstracts
Poster number 87 submitted by Xiaozhuo Liu
Regulation of the translation by eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B
Xiaozhuo Liu (Department of Biological Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo), Sarah E. Walker (Department of Biological Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo)
Abstract:
Eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs) interact with the ribosome, mRNA elements and protein cofactors to regulate both global levels of translation, as well as the levels and isoforms of proteins translated from specific mRNAs. The RNA Recognition Motif (RRM)-containing translation initiation factor eIF4B was historically known as an RNA-binding protein, and thought to enhance eIF4F unwinding activities by binding to single-stranded regions of unwound capped mRNAs. Our previous work demonstrated that the RRM and RNA-binding activities of eIF4B are actually dispensable for growth and translation, and further showed that eIF4B binds directly to the small (40S) ribosomal subunit to promote changes in the mRNA entry channel. Here we have analyzed the effects of eIF4B on cellular fitness under ~1400 different conditions and found that eIF4B promotes growth in response to various stresses. The results of these studies highlight the importance of eIF4B in adapting to external conditions, and allow us to tie mechanical functions of a translation factor to specific phenotypes.
Keywords: Eukaryotic translation initiation factors