Isolation and characterization of eft-1, an elongation factor 2-like gene on chromosome III of Caenorhabditis elegans

DNA Cell Biol. 1992 Jan-Feb;11(1):71-82. doi: 10.1089/dna.1992.11.71.

Abstract

A gene (eft-1) encoding an elongation factor 2-like protein was isolated from a region adjacent to the polyubiquitin gene, ubq-1, of Caenorhabditis elegans. Sequence analysis of genomic and cDNA clones revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of the protein (EFT-1) is 38% identical to that of mammalian and Drosophila elongation factor 2 (EF-2). The entire eft-1 gene is approximately 3.8 kb in length and contains 5 exons separated by short introns of 46-75 bp. The 2,547-bp open reading frame predicts a protein of 849 amino acid residues (calculated Mr, 96,151). Conserved sequences shared among a variety of GTP-binding proteins including EF-2 are found in the amino-terminal third of EFT-1. The carboxy-terminal half contains regions with 40-57% similarity (including conservative changes) with segments characteristic of EF-2 and its prokaryotic homolog, EF-G. However, the histidyl residue target for ADP-ribosylation of EF-2 by diphtheria toxin is replaced by tyrosine in EFT-1. Southern and Northern blot analyses indicate that eft-1 is a single-copy gene that is expressed at all stages of nematode development. Amplification of fragments encoding highly conserved regions of EF-2 using the polymerase chain reaction led to the isolation of a fragment encoding the modifiable histidyl residue and which likely represents part of the C. elegans EF-2 gene (eft-2). This suggests that EFT-1 is not the C. elegans homolog of EF-2, but a closely related protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Caenorhabditis / chemistry
  • Caenorhabditis / genetics*
  • Chromosomes*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cricetinae
  • DNA / isolation & purification
  • Genes*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Elongation Factor 2
  • Peptide Elongation Factors / chemistry
  • Peptide Elongation Factors / genetics*
  • Peptide Elongation Factors / isolation & purification
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

Substances

  • Peptide Elongation Factor 2
  • Peptide Elongation Factors
  • DNA

Associated data

  • GENBANK/M72419