An argument for the existence of a natural complex between protein L5 and 5 S RNA in rat liver 60-S ribosomal subunits.

Electrophoresis of the 60-S ribosomal subunits from rat liver in the presence of citrate ions removes the 7 S ribonucleoprotein complex between protein L5 and 5 S RNA though this complex is not released by dialysis or by centrifugation through a sucrose cushion in the same buffer. Using acetate instead of citrate, the subunits remain intact in all cases. On the other hand, in the presence of EDTA, the complex is always released. The poly(U) directed polyphenylalanine synthesis is correlated in each case with the presence of this complex within the subunits. The melting curves of subunits which have been treated with citrate, acetate or EDTA and then taken back in the buffer in which they were stored suggest that the specific RNA-protein interactions are preserved in the presence of acetate and of citrate but not of EDTA. As a whole, the results support the interpretation that the association of protein L5 and 5 S RNA exists within the active subunits.

Occurrence of phosphorylated forms of an acidic protein in the large ribosomal subunit of rat liver.

An acidic protein from rat liver 60-S ribosomal subunits was selectively extracted with 50% ethanol. It was revealed as three different spots by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, two of them being attributable to phosphorylated forms since they disappeared after alkaline phosphatase treatment. The relationship between this protein and similar acidic proteins found in eucaryotic cells is discussed.

Specific ribonucleoprotein fragments from 40-S ribosomal subunits.

Well-defined ribonucleoprotein fragments, resulting from the action of endogenous nuclease on 40-S subunits, were able to be separated when using high concentrations of LiCl. The ribonucleoproteins obtained sedimented at 12, 17 S, 23 S and 30 S and contained 8 S, 12 S and 17 S RNA, respectively, associated with a few proteins. The proteins extracted from the fragments were [3H] labeled by reductive methylation and their molar proportion was determined. The smallest fragment (12, 17 S) contained only three proteins, S8, S9 and S24. The 23-S and 30-S materials contained some proteins in common, S15, S19, S22, S25; S16 was found mainly in 30 S. Two proteins, S26 and "protein y" were found mainly in 23 S material. Thus, these results can give information on the relative location of certain proteins in the 40-S subunits.

Modification of the accessibility of ribosomal proteins after elongation factor 2 binding to rat liver ribosomes and during translocation.

Free- and EF-2-bound 80 S ribosomes, within the high-affinity complex with the non-hydrolysable GTP analog: guanylylmethylenediphosphonate (GuoPP(CH2)P), and the low-affinity complex with GDP, were treated with trypsin under conditions that modified neither their protein synthesis ability nor their sedimentation constant nor the bound EF-2 itself. Proteins extracted from trypsin-digested ribosomes were unambiguously identified using three different two-dimensional gel electrophoresis systems and 5 S RNA release was checked by submitting directly free- and EF-2-bound 80 S ribosomes, incubated with trypsin, to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Our results indicate that the binding of (EF-2)-GuoPP[CH2]P to 80 S ribosomes modified the behavior of a cluster of five proteins which were trypsin-resistant within free 80 S ribosomes and trypsin-sensitive within the high-affinity complex (proteins: L3, L10, L13a, L26, L27a). As for the binding of (EF-2)-GDP to 80 S ribosomes, it induced an intermediate conformational change of ribosomes, unshielding only protein L13a and L27a. Quantitative release of free intact 5 S RNA which occurred in the first case but not in the second one, should be related to the trypsinolysis of protein(s) L3 and/or L10 and/or L26. Results were discussed in relation to structural and functional data available on the ribosomal proteins we found to be modified by EF-2 binding.

Modification of the reactivity of three amino-acid residues in elongation factor 2 during its binding to ribosomes and translocation.

The accessibility of three amino acids of EF-2, located within highly conserved regions near the N- and C-terminal extremities of the molecule (the E region and the ADPR region, respectively) to modifying enzymes has been compared within nucleotide-complexed EF-2 and ribosomal complexes that mimic the pre- and posttranslocational ones: the high-affinity complex (EF-2)-nonhydrolysable GTP analog GuoPP[CH2]P ribosome and the low-affinity (EF-2)-GDP-ribosome complex, EF-2 and ribosomes being from rat liver. We studied the reactivity of two highly conserved residues diphthamide-715 and Arg-66, to diphtheria-toxin-dependent ADP-ribosylation and trypsin attack, and of a threonine that probably lies between residues 51 and 60, to phosphorylation by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. Diphthamide 715 and this threonine residue were unreactive within the high-affinity complex but seemed fully reactive in the low-affinity complex. Arg-66 was resistant to trypsin in both complexes. The possible involvement of the E and ADPR regions of EF-2 in the interaction with ribosome in the two complexes is discussed.

Properties of elongation factor-2 fragments obtained by partial proteolysis.

Rat liver elongation factor eEF-2 was treated with endoproteinase Glu-C. Two major fragments were obtained, which were identified by N-terminal sequencing and purified. The larger one (F61) contained 554 residues including the N-terminal end, and after a second cleavage released a N-terminal peptide (F7) of 62 residues. The smaller one (F34) contained the other 303 residues including the C terminal end. F61 and F34, either isolated or after combination, were unable to catalyze protein synthesis. However, we show by fluorimetry that F61 could still interact with GTP and GDP. This fragment was was able to participate into a ternary complex with ribosome and GDP, but not with ribosome and a GTP analogue. It was unable to protect the ribosome against ricin-inactivation and to be phosphorylated by the eEF-2-specific Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent kinase, though it contained Trp221 and Thr56 involved in these reactions. On the other hand, F34 could be ADP-ribosylated in the presence of NAD+ and diphtheria toxin, but this fragment was apparently unable to bind to ribosomes. These results and those obtained with other proteinases are discussed in the light of the data published recently which show the existence of five different domains in the three-dimensional structure of EF-G.

Reductive alkylation of mammalian ribosomes.

40- and 60-S ribosomal subunits and 80-S ribosomes from rat liver were highly labelled by reductive methylation using formaldehyde and sodium boro-[3H] hydride, under conditions which did not decrease their activity in poly-U-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis. Dissociation of the monosomes, subunits dimers, and polysomes into free subunits was observed after methylation. Free proteins labelled after extraction from the ribosomal subunits incorporated 7 times more radioactivity than when labelled in the subunits. Proteins extracted from methylated subunits and ribosomes were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and the radioactivity of each protein was compared to that of the same free protein. A classification of the proteins was established according to their accessibility to the reagents in the subunits and the ribosomes.

Binding of GDP to a ribosomal protein after elongation factor-2 dependent GTP hydrolysis.

Incubation of 80S ribosomes with a substoichiometric amount of [alpha-32P]GTP and with eEF-2 resulted in the specific labeling of one ribosomal protein which migrated very close to the position of the acidic phosphoprotein P2 from the 60S subunit in two-dimensional isofocusing-SDS gel electrophoresis. Localization of protein P2 in this electrophoretic system was ascertained by correlation with its position in the standard two-dimensional acidic-SDS gel electrophoresis after its specific phosphorylation by casein kinase II. Labeling of the ribosomal protein was dependent on the presence of eEF-2, and could be attributed to [alpha-32P]GDP binding from the results of chase experiments and HPLC identification, this binding being very likely responsible for the slight shift in the electrophoretical position of the protein. Incubation of ribosomes with tRNA(Phe) in the absence of mRNA induced the release of the bound GDP.

Modifications of 60 S ribosomal subunits induced by the ricin A chain.

Incubation of 60 S ribosomal subunits with the ricin A chain reduced their stability during heat treatment. The toxin shifted the thermal denaturation curve of the subunits towards lower temperatures, in a similar way to that produced by the decrease in Mg2+ concentration. A brief heating (3 min at 57 degrees C), which did not affect control subunit activity, enhanced protein synthesis inhibition of the toxin-treated subunits that released more 5 S RNA, in the form of nucleoprotein complex(es) with protein L5 and phosphoproteins P1P2 (RNPH), than did heated control subunits [(1984) Eur. J. Biochem. 143, 303-307]. No nuclease activity tested on 60 S subunits and purified 5 S and 5.8 S RNA was found associated with the toxin. The results suggest that the toxin induced a limited conformational change of the 60 S subunit, which destabilized the interaction between RNPH and the rest of the subunit.

Identification of the proteins interacting with tRNA in rat liver small ribosomal subunits.

Irradiation at 254 nm of the rat liver 40 S ribosomal subunit-poly(U)-Phe[32P]tRNA complex induced a covalent linkage of tRNA with a limited number of ribosomal proteins. After RNA hydrolysis, S10 was found to be the protein most highly labeled by radioactive nucleotides. Some radioactivity was also associated with protein S6-6a, S3a, S2 and S13-15.

Topography and stoichiometry of acidic phosphoproteins in rat liver 60 S ribosomal subunit.

In reconstitution experiments of active 60 S subunits from inactive core particles obtained by using dimethyl maleic anhydride (DMMA), we observed that the phosphoproteins P1-P2 were extracted from the subunit by DMMA as a complex with other proteins. This complex was separated by electrophoresis and zonal centrifugation and shown, after 125I iodination of its components, to contain L22 and S12 in addition to P1-P2. Results suggest that it contains two copies of P1-P2 for one of L22 and S12.

Reconstitution of the active rat liver 60 S ribosomal subunit from different preparations of core particles and split proteins.

Proteins extracted from the 60 S rat liver ribosomal subunit with 50% ethanol/0.5 M K Cl produced only a partial reactivation of the corresponding core particles. In contrast, the same split proteins were able to reactivate the core particles prepared with dimethyl-maleic anhydride (DMMA) to the same level as that observed using the DMMA-split proteins, i.e. 60-80% of the control according to the catalytic activities tested. Comparative analysis of the two split protein fractions showed only four common proteins: P1-P2, which alone restored part of the activities, especially the EF-2-dependent GTPase one, and L10a, L12, which must be responsible for the additional reactivation. The poor ability of the ethanol/KCl core particles to be reactivated was shown to be probably related to a conformational alteration which destabilized the 5 S RNA-protein complex. Proteins present in the ethanol/KCl wash of Saccharomyces cerevisiae 60 S subunits were found to be partly active in subunit reconstitution using rat liver DMMA core particles.

Role of acidic phosphoproteins in the partial reconstitution of the active 60 S ribosomal subunit.

We have recently shown that rat liver 60 S ribosomal subunits active in protein synthesis can be reconstituted from inactive core particles lacking 30% of the total proteins, mainly L10a, L12, L22, L24, A33 and the acidic phosphoproteins P1-P2, obtained by treatment of 60 S subunits with dimethylmaleic anhydride [(1987) Eur. J. Biochem. 163, 15-20]. In this study, an ethanol extract of the 60 S subunit which contains only P1 P2 was also shown to be effective in reconstitution with the DMMA-core-particles: it strongly stimulated the EF-2-dependent GTP hydrolysis and, to a lesser extent, polyphenylalanine synthesis; like the DMMA wash it shifted the thermal denaturation curve of the DMMA-core particles towards that of control subunits. Prior dephosphorylation of the ethanol extract by alkaline phosphatase inhibited the reconstruction process.

Heterogeneity of native rat liver elongation factor 2.

The high heterogeneity of native rat liver EF-2 prepared from either 105000 x g supernatant or microsome high-salt extract was detected by two-dimensional equilibrium isoelectric focusing-SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of 9.5 M urea. Five spots were always detected, all of Mr 95,000, which were not artefactual for their amount varied when EF-2 was specifically ADP-ribosylated by diphtheria toxin in the presence of NAD+, and/or phosphorylated on a threonine residue by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (most likely Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III described by others [(1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 17299-17303; (1988) Nature 334, 170-173]). Results of ADP-ribosylation and/or phosphorylation experiments with either unlabeled or labeled reagents ([14C]NAD and [32P]ATP) strongly suggest that our preparation contained native ADP-ribosylated and native phosphorylated forms which could be estimated at about 20% and 40% of the whole EF-2. Phosphorylated and ADP-ribosylated forms of EF-2 could be ADP-ribosylated and phosphorylated, respectively, but a native form both ADP-ribosylated and phosphorylated was not detected. Our results also suggest the existence of a minor native form of EF-2 and of its phosphorylated and ADP-ribosylated derivatives.

Interaction of phosphorylated elongation factor EF-2 with nucleotides and ribosomes.

The intrinsic fluorescence emission spectrum of elongation factor EF-2 due to the 7 Trp residues was not modified after complete phosphorylation of the factor by the specific Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent kinase III. The effect of nucleotide binding on this fluorescence revealed differences between phosphorylated and unmodified EF-2. Low concentrations of GTP had a smaller quenching effect on the fluorescence of phosphorylated EF-2 than on the fluorescence of unmodified EF-2, whereas GDP had exactly the same quenching effect on the fluorescence of both samples. These results suggest that phosphorylation of EF-2 decreased its affinity for GTP but not for GDP. Ability of phosphorylated EF-2 to form a ternary complex with ribosomes in the presence of a non-hydrolysable GTP analog and its ability to protect ribosomes against ricin-inactivation were both decreased to the same extent. The lower affinity of phosphorylated EF-2 for GTP could be responsible for a weaker and/or incorrect interaction of the factor with the ribosome, in particular with the ricin-site of the 28-S rRNA assumed to be involved in translocation initiation.

Study on mammalian ribosomal protein reactivity in situ. III. Effect of trypsin on 40S and 60S subunits.

Rat liver 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits were treated with increasing concentrations of trypsin. The activity of both trypsin-treated subunits, when assayed for polyphenylalanine synthesis, progressively decreased, but the 60S subunits were inactivated at much lower trypsin concentrations than were the 40S ones. The sedimentation coefficients of trypsin-treated subunits were identical to those of control subunits when sucrose gradients containing 0.5 M KCl were used. When the sucrose gradients were prepared with a low salt buffer (80 mM KCl), dimer formation was observed with control subunits, but not with trypsin-treated ones. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis of the proteins extracted from trypsin-treated subunits revealed that all ribosomal proteins in the subunits were accessible to the enzyme. However, several proteins were more resistant to trypsin in compact subunits than when they were free or in unfolded subunits. Proteins of the 60S subunits were generally digested by lower trypsin concentrations than those of the 40S subunits. From the quantitative measurements of the undigested proteins, a classification of the proteins from both subunits according to their trypsin sensitivity was established. These results were compared with those previously obtained concerning ribosomal protein reactivity to chemical reagents.

Sucrose modifies ribosomal stability and conformation.

High concentrations of sucrose have a strong protective effect on heat-induced modifications of rat liver ribosomal subunits. They prevent to a large extent subunit inactivation, measured by poly (U)-dependent [14C] Phe tRNA binding (40S subunits) and puromycin reaction (60S subunits), subunit unfolding into light forms, and the release of both free and protein-complexed 5S RNA. They also increase the temperature at which subunits start to melt. Our data indicate that sucrose affects subunit conformation.

Study of mammalian ribosomal protein reactivity in situ. II. - Effect of glutaraldehyde and salts.

Results concerning ribosomal protein sensitivity to glutaraldehyde were compared to protein depletion studies using LiCl centrifugation. The relative degree of reactivity of the different proteins was determined by two-dimensional acrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the activity of the reacted subunits was measured. The results obtained mostly confirmed the studies of methoxynitrotropone reactivity reported earlier. For example, L16, L25, L29, L30, L31, S18, S20 appeared to be definitely exposed to both NH2-reagents and LiCl. Some interesting points emerged from this study regarding protein topography in both subunits: (1) with few exceptions, almost all ribosomal proteins were accessible to the surrounding medium; (2) the sensitivity of the 40S proteins to the three reagents used was lower than was that of the 60S proteins; (3) the reactivities of the subunit components changed when subunits were associated: L8 was more reactive with glutaraldehyde in 60S subunits than in 80S ribosomes. In contrast, S14, S15 and S19 were more exposed in ribosomes than in the 40S subunits.

Effect of ADP-ribosylation and phosphorylation on the interaction of elongation factor 2 with guanylic nucleotides.

Samples of unmodified EF-2, EF-2 ADP-ribosylated with diphtheria toxin and NAD, and/or phosphorylated using ATP and the Ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent kinase III partially purified, were irradiated at 254 nm with 32P-labeled GDP or GTP, and analyzed by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. By this method we showed that unmodified EF-2 formed a stable complex with GDP but not with GTP, whereas phosphorylated EF-2 and ADP-ribosylated + phosphorylated EF-2 formed stable complexes even in the absence of irradiation, with GTP but not GDP. ADP-ribosylated EF-2 did not form stable complexes with either GDP or GTP. Prior ADP-ribosylation of EF-2 increased its ability to the phosphorylated. These results show that the structures of the two domains containing diphtamide 715 and the phosphorylatable threonines (between Ala 51 and Arg 60) are interdependent; modifications of these residues induce different conformational changes of EF-2 which alter the interactions of the factor with guanylic nucleotides as well with ribosomes.

Heterogeneity of ribosomal autoantibodies from human, murine and canine connective tissue diseases.

Antiribosomal auto-antibodies (anti-Rib.Ab) have been studied in connective tissue diseases (human, dog and mouse) by immunoblotting after one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis of rat ribosomes. Anti-Rib.Ab could be found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other connective tissue diseases (progressive systemic sclerosis, PSS; Sjögren syndrome, SjS; mixed connective tissue disease, MCTD; and dermatomyositis, DM with the frequencies 41.7%, 54.6% and 33%, respectively. Immunoblotting after 1D gel electrophoresis showed the great heterogeneity of ribosomal proteins recognized by the anti-Rib.Ab. In the SLE, however, the most frequent antibodies stained bands of the 40S subunit: 30 kDa (34% of positive sera), 19.5 kDa (24.5%) and 43 kDa (17%). In RA, the 25-kDa band of the 60S subunit was the most common (54% of positive sera). In the other human connective tissue diseases, there was no particular predominance. In the MRL/1, anti-Rib.Ab were very frequent (92.6%). The 43-kDa band of the 40S subunit was found in 100% of positive sera. Seventeen out of nineteen dogs with SLE gave positive results on immunoblot, and all of them stained the 43-kDa band of the 40S subunit. 2D gel electrophoresis gave identification of Po, L7, L5, Sb, S19, S13 and L2 proteins in SLE, S3 and SjS, L35a and L37a in RA, and L7, S6 and/or L7a in MRL/1.