The effect of hypusine modification on the intracellular localization of eIF5A

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a highly conserved protein essential for eukaryotic cell proliferation and is the only protein containing hypusine, [N^ε-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine]. eIF5A is activated by the post-translational synthesis of hypusine. eIF5A also undergoes an acetylation at specific Lys residue(s). In this study, we have investigated the effect of hypusine modification and acetylation on the subcellular localization of eIF5A. Immunocytochemical analyses showed differences in the distribution of non-hypusinated eIF5A precursor and the hypusine-containing mature eIF5A. While the precursor is found in both cytoplasm and nucleus, the hypusinated eIF5A is primarily localized in cytoplasm. eIF5A mutant proteins, defective in hypusine modification (K50A, K50R) were localized in a similar manner to the eIF5A precursor, whereas hypusine-modified mutant proteins (K47A, K47R, K68A) were localized mainly in the cytoplasm. These findings provide strong evidence that the hypusine modification of eIF5A dictates its localization in the cytoplasmic compartment where it is required for protein synthesis.     

Posttranslational synthesis of hypusine: evolutionary progression and specificity of the hypusine modification

Summary. A naturally occurring unusual amino acid, hypusine [N ^ɛ-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)-lysine] is a component of a single cellular protein, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). It is a modified lysine with structural contribution from the polyamine spermidine. Hypusine is formed in a novel posttranslational modification that involves two enzymes, deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH). eIF5A and deoxyhypusine/hypusine modification are essential for growth of eukaryotic cells. The hypusine synthetic pathway has evolved in eukaryotes and eIF5A, DHS and DOHH are highly conserved, suggesting maintenance of a fundamental cellular function of eIF5A through evolution. The unique feature of the hypusine modification is the strict specificity of the enzymes toward its substrate protein, eIF5A. Moreover, DHS exhibits a narrow specificity toward spermidine. In view of the extraordinary specificity and the requirement for hypusine-containing eIF5A for mammalian cell proliferation, eIF5A and the hypusine biosynthetic enzymes present new potential targets for intervention in aberrant cell proliferation.     

Mutational analyses of human eIF5A-1--identification of amino acid residues critical for eIF5A activity and hypusine modification

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is the only protein that contains hypusine [Nepsilon-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine], which is required for its activity. Hypusine is formed by post-translational modification of one specific lysine (Lys50 for human eIF5A) by deoxyhypusine synthase and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase. To investigate the features of eIF5A required for its activity, we generated 49 mutations in human eIF5A-1, with a single amino acid substitution at the highly conserved residues or with N-terminal or C-terminal truncations, and tested mutant proteins in complementing the growth of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A null strain. Growth-supporting activity was abolished in only a few mutant eIF5As (K47D, G49A, K50A, K50D, K50I, K50R, G52A and K55A), with substitutions at or near the hypusine modification site or with truncation of 21 amino acids from either the N-terminus or C-terminus. The inactivity of the Lys50 substitution proteins is obviously due to lack of deoxyhypusine modification. In contrast, K47D and G49A were effective substrates for deoxyhypusine synthase, yet failed to support growth, suggesting critical roles of Lys47 and Gly49 in eIF5A activity, possibly in its interaction with effector(s). By use of a UBHY-R strain harboring genetically engineered unstable eIF5A, we present evidence for the primary function of eIF5A in protein synthesis. When selected eIF5A mutant proteins were tested for their activity in protein synthesis, a close correlation was observed between their ability to enhance protein synthesis and growth, lending further support for a central role of eIF5A in translation.     

Functional significance of eIF5A and its hypusine modification in eukaryotes

The unusual basic amino acid, hypusine [N^ε-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)-lysine], is a modified lysine with the addition of the 4-aminobutyl moiety from the polyamine spermidine. This naturally occurring amino acid is a product of a unique posttranslational modification that occurs in only one cellular protein, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A, eIF-5A). Hypusine is synthesized exclusively in this protein by two sequential enzymatic steps involving deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH). The deoxyhypusine/hypusine synthetic pathway has evolved in archaea and eukaryotes, and eIF5A, DHS and DOHH are highly conserved suggesting a vital cellular function of eIF5A. Gene disruption and mutation studies in yeast and higher eukaryotes have provided valuable information on the essential nature of eIF5A and the deoxyhypusine/hypusine modification in cell growth and in protein synthesis. In view of the extraordinary specificity and functional significance of hypusine-containing eIF5A in mammalian cell proliferation, eIF5A and the hypusine biosynthetic enzymes are novel potential targets for intervention in aberrant cell proliferation.     

Inhibition of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) hypusination impairs melanoma growth

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) undergoes a specific post-translational modification called hypusination. This modification is required for the functionality of this protein. The compound N1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC7) is a potent and selective inhibitor of deoxyhypusine synthase, which catalyses the first step of eIF5A hypusination process. In the present study, the effects of GC7 on cell death were investigated using two cell lines: melan-a murine melanocytes and Tm5 murine melanoma. In vitro treatment with GC7 increased by 3-fold the number of cells presenting DNA fragmentation in Tm5 cells. Exposure to GC7 also decreased viability to both cell lines. This study also describes, for the first time, the in vivo antitumour effect of GC7, as indicated by impaired melanoma growth in C57BL/6 mice.     

eIF5A Promotes Translation Elongation,Polysome Disassembly and Stress Granule Assembly

Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic foci at which untranslated mRNAs accumulate in cells exposed to environmental stress. We have identified ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), an enzyme required for polyamine synthesis, and eIF5A, a polyamine (hypusine)-modified translation factor, as proteins required for arsenite-induced SG assembly. Knockdown of deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) or treatment with a deoxyhypusine synthase inhibitor (GC7) prevents hypusine modification of eIF5A as well as arsenite-induced polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly. Time-course analysis reveals that this is due to a slowing of stress-induced ribosome run-off in cells lacking hypusine-eIF5A. Whereas eIF5A only marginally affects protein synthesis under normal conditions, it is required for the rapid onset of stress-induced translational repression. Our results reveal that hypusine-eIF5A-facilitated translation elongation promotes arsenite-induced polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly in cells subjected to adverse environmental conditions.     

The post-translational synthesis of a polyamine-derived amino acid, hypusine, in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A)

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is the only cellular protein that contains the unique polyamine-derived amino acid, hypusine [Nepsilon-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine]. Hypusine is formed in eIF5A by a novel post-translational modification reaction that involves two enzymatic steps. In the first step, deoxyhypusine synthase catalyzes the cleavage of the polyamine spermidine and transfer of its 4-aminobutyl moiety to the epsilon-amino group of one specific lysine residue of the eIF5A precursor to form a deoxyhypusine intermediate. In the second step, deoxyhypusine hydroxylase converts the deoxyhypusine-containing intermediate to the hypusine-containing mature eIF5A. The structure and mechanism of deoxyhypusine synthase have been extensively characterized. Deoxyhypusine hydroxylase is a HEAT-repeat protein with a symmetrical superhelical structure consisting of 8 helical hairpins (HEAT motifs). It is a novel metalloenzyme containing tightly bound iron at the active sites. Four strictly conserved His-Glu pairs were identified as iron coordination sites. The structural fold of deoxyhypusine hydroxylase is entirely different from those of the other known protein hydroxylases such as prolyl 4-hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylases. The eIF5A protein and deoxyhypusine/hypusine modification are essential for eukaryotic cell proliferation. Thus, hypusine synthesis represents the most specific protein modification known to date, and presents a novel target for intervention in mammalian cell proliferation.     

The N-terminal region of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A signals to nuclear localization of the protein

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a ubiquitous protein of eukaryotic and archaeal organisms which undergoes hypusination, a unique post-translational modification. We have generated a polyclonal antibody against murine eIF5A, which in immunocytochemical assays in B16-F10 cells revealed that the endogenous protein is preferentially localized to the nuclear region. We therefore analyzed possible structural features present in eIF5A proteins that could be responsible for that characteristic. Multiple sequence alignment analysis of eIF5A proteins from different eukaryotic and archaeal organisms showed that the former sequences have an extended N-terminal segment. We have then performed in silico prediction analyses and constructed different truncated forms of murine eIF5A to verify any possible role that the N-terminal extension might have in determining the subcellular localization of the eIF5A in eukaryotic organisms. Our results indicate that the N-terminal extension of the eukaryotic eIF5A contributes in signaling this protein to nuclear localization, despite of bearing no structural similarity with classical nuclear localization signals.     

Mapping eIF5A binding sites for Dys1 and Lia1: in vivo evidence for regulation of eIF5A hypusination

The evolutionarily conserved factor eIF5A is the only protein known to undergo hypusination, a unique posttranslational modification triggered by deoxyhypusine synthase (Dys1). Although eIF5A is essential for cell viability, the function of this putative translation initiation factor is still obscure. To identify eIF5A-binding proteins that could clarify its function, we screened a two-hybrid library and identified two eIF-5A partners in S. cerevisiae: Dys1 and the protein encoded by the gene YJR070C, named Lia1 (Ligand of eIF5A). The interactions were confirmed by GST pulldown. Mapping binding sites for these proteins revealed that both eIF5A domains can bind to Dys1, whereas the C-terminal domain is sufficient to bind Lia1. We demonstrate for the first time in vivo that the N-terminal alpha-helix of Dys1 can modulate enzyme activity by inhibiting eIF5A interaction. We suggest that this inhibition be abrogated in the cell when hypusinated and functional eIF5A is required.     

真核翻译起始因子5A在蛋白质合成中的功能及机制

在蛋白质合成过程中,除核糖体、氨酰 tRNA和mRNA外,还有多种翻译因子参与其中。真核翻译起始因子5A（eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A, eIF5A）是维持细胞活性必不可少的翻译因子,在进化上高度保守。eIF5A是真核细胞中唯一含有羟腐胺赖氨酸（hypusine）的蛋白质,该翻译后修饰对eIF5A的活性至关重要。1978年,人们首次鉴定出eIF5A,认为它在翻译起始阶段促进第1个肽键的形成。直到2013年才证实它主要在翻译延伸阶段调控含多聚脯氨酸基序蛋白质的翻译。在经过四十多年研究后,人们对eIF5A的功能有了新的认识。近期基于核糖体图谱数据的分析表明,eIF5A能够缓解翻译延伸过程中核糖体在多种基序处的停滞,并不局限于多聚脯氨酸基序,并且它还能够通过促进肽链的释放增强翻译终止。此外,eIF5A还可以通过调控某些蛋白质的翻译,间接影响细胞内的各种生命活动。本文综述了eIF5A的多种翻译后修饰、在蛋白质合成和细胞自噬过程中的调控作用以及与人类疾病的关系,并与细菌及古细菌中的同源蛋白质进行了比较,探讨了该因子在进化中的保守性,以期为相关领域的研究提供一定的理论基础。     

The polyamine-derived amino acid hypusine: its post-translational formation in eIF-5A and its role in cell proliferation

Summary The unusual amino acid hypusine [N -(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine] is a unique component of one cellular protein, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A, old terminology, eIF-4D). It is formed posttranslationally and exclusively in this protein in two consecutive enzymatic reactions, (i) modification of a single lysine residue of the eIF-5A precursor protein by the transfer of the 4-aminobutyl moiety of the polyamine spermidine to its-amino group to form the intermediate, deoxyhypusine [N -(4-aminobutyl)lysine] and (ii) subsequent hydroxylation of this intermediate to form hypusine. The amino acid sequences surrounding the hypusine residue are strictly conserved in all eukaryotic species examined, suggesting the fundamental importance of this amino acid throughout evolution. Hypusine is required for the activity of eIF-5Ain vitro. There is strong evidence that hypusine and eIF-5A are vital for eukaryotic cell proliferation. Inactivation of both of the eIF-5A genes is lethal in yeast and the hypusine modification appears to be a requirement for yeast survival (Schnier et al., 1991 [Mol Cell Biol 11: 3105–3114]; Wöhl et al., 1993 [Mol Gen Genet 241: 305–311]). Furthermore, inhibitors of either of the hypusine biosynthetic enzymes, deoxyhypusine synthase or deoxyhypusine hydroxylase, exert strong anti-proliferative effects in mammalian cells, including many human cancer cell lines. These inhibitors hold potential as a new class of anticancer agents, targeting one specific eukaryotic cellular reaction, hypusine biosynthesis.     

Post-translational formation of hypusine in eIF5A: implications in human neurodevelopment

Hypusine [N^ε-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine] is a derivative of lysine that is formed post-translationally in the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). Its occurrence at a single site in one cellular protein defines hypusine synthesis as one of the most specific post-translational modifications. Synthesis of hypusine involves two enzymatic steps: first, deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) cleaves the 4-aminobutyl moiety of spermidine and transfers it to the ε-amino group of a specific lysine residue of the eIF5A precursor protein to form an intermediate, deoxyhypusine [N^ε-(4-aminobutyl)lysine]. This intermediate is subsequently hydroxylated by deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH) to form hypusine in eIF5A. eIF5A, DHPS, and DOHH are highly conserved in all eukaryotes, and both enzymes exhibit a strict specificity toward eIF5A substrates. eIF5A promotes translation elongation globally by alleviating ribosome stalling and it also facilitates translation termination. Hypusine is required for the activity of eIF5A, mammalian cell proliferation, and animal development. Homozygous knockout of any of the three genes, Eif5a, Dhps, or Dohh, leads to embryonic lethality in mice. eIF5A has been implicated in various human pathological conditions. A recent genetic study reveals that heterozygous germline EIF5A variants cause Faundes–Banka syndrome, a craniofacial–neurodevelopmental malformations in humans. Biallelic variants of DHPS were identified as the genetic basis underlying a rare inherited neurodevelopmental disorder. Furthermore, biallelic DOHH variants also appear to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorder. The clinical phenotypes of these patients include intellectual disability, developmental delay, seizures, microcephaly, growth impairment, and/or facial dysmorphisms. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of eIF5A and the hypusine modification pathway in neurodevelopment in humans.

     

The Deoxyhypusine Synthase Mutant dys1-1 Reveals the Association of eIF5A and Asc1 with Cell Wall Integrity

The putative eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a highly conserved protein among archaea and eukaryotes that has recently been implicated in the elongation step of translation. eIF5A undergoes an essential and conserved posttranslational modification at a specific lysine to generate the residue hypusine. The enzymes deoxyhypusine synthase (Dys1) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (Lia1) catalyze this two-step modification process. Although several Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A mutants have importantly contributed to the study of eIF5A function, no conditional mutant of Dys1 has been described so far. In this study, we generated and characterized the dys1-1 mutant, which showed a strong depletion of mutated Dys1 protein, resulting in more than 2-fold decrease in hypusine levels relative to the wild type. The dys1-1 mutant demonstrated a defect in total protein synthesis, a defect in polysome profile indicative of a translation elongation defect and a reduced association of eIF5A with polysomes. The growth phenotype of dys1-1 mutant is severe, growing only in the presence of 1 M sorbitol, an osmotic stabilizer. Although this phenotype is characteristic of Pkc1 cell wall integrity mutants, the sorbitol requirement from dys1-1 is not associated with cell lysis. We observed that the dys1-1 genetically interacts with the sole yeast protein kinase C (Pkc1) and Asc1, a component of the 40S ribosomal subunit. The dys1-1 mutant was synthetically lethal in combination with asc1Δ and overexpression of TIF51A (eIF5A) or DYS1 is toxic for an asc1Δ strain. Moreover, eIF5A is more associated with translating ribosomes in the absence of Asc1 in the cell. Finally, analysis of the sensitivity to cell wall-perturbing compounds revealed a more similar behavior of the dys1-1 and asc1Δ mutants in comparison with the pkc1Δ mutant. These data suggest a correlated role for eIF5A and Asc1 in coordinating the translational control of a subset of mRNAs associated with cell integrity.     

Molecular modeling of the human eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) based on spectroscopic and computational analyses

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a protein ubiquitously present in archaea and eukarya, which undergoes a unique two-step post-translational modification called hypusination. Several studies have shown that hypusination is essential for a variety of functional roles for eIF5A, including cell proliferation and synthesis of proteins involved in cell cycle control. Up to now neither a totally selective inhibitor of hypusination nor an inhibitor capable of directly binding to eIF5A has been reported in the literature. The discovery of such an inhibitor might be achieved by computer-aided drug design based on the 3D structure of the human eIF5A. In this study, we present a molecular model for the human eIF5A protein based on the crystal structure of the eIF5A from Leishmania brasiliensis, and compare the modeled conformation of the loop bearing the hypusination site with circular dichroism data obtained with a synthetic peptide of this loop. Furthermore, analysis of amino acid variability between different human eIF5A isoforms revealed peculiar structural characteristics that are of functional relevance.     

Specificity of the deoxyhypusine hydroxylase-eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF5A) interaction: identification of amino acid residues of the enzyme required for binding of its substrate, deoxyhypusine-containing eIF5A

Deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH) is a novel metalloenzyme that catalyzes the final step of the post-translational synthesis of hypusine (Nepsilon-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine) in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). Hypusine synthesis is unique in that it occurs in only one protein, denoting the strict specificity of the modification enzymes toward the substrate protein. The specificity of the interaction between eIF5A and DOHH was investigated using human eIF5A (eIF5A-1 isoform) and human recombinant DOHH. DOHH displayed a strong preference for binding the deoxyhypusine-containing form of eIF5A, over the eIF5A precursor or the hypusine-containing eIF5A, indicating a role for the deoxyhypusine residue in binding. In addition to the deoxyhypusine residue, a large portion of the eIF5A polypeptide (>20-90 amino acids) is required for effective modification by DOHH. We have identified the amino acid residues of DOHH that are critical for substrate binding by alanine substitution of 36 conserved amino acid residues. Of these, alanine substitution at Glu57, Glu90, Glu208, Glu241, Gly63, or Gly214 caused a severe impairment in eIF5A(Dhp) binding, with a complete loss of binding and activity in the E57A and E208A mutant enzymes. Only aspartate substitution mutants, E57D or E208D, retained partial activity and substrate binding, whereas alanine, glutamine, or asparagine mutants did not. These findings support a proposed model of DOHH-eIF5A binding in which the amino group(s) of the deoxyhypusine side chain of the substrate is primarily anchored by gamma-carboxyl groups of Glu57 and Glu208 at the DOHH active site.     

Effect of N 1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane,an inhibitor of deoxyhypusine synthase,on endothelial cell growth,differentiation and apoptosis

An unusual amino acid, hypusine [N -(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine], is formed post-translationally in a single cellular protein, the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) by deoxyhypusine synthase and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase. Although eIF5A and its hypusine modification are essential for eukaryotic cell viability, the true physiological function of eIF5A is yet unknown. We have examined the effects of N ¹-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane (GC7), a potent inhibitor of deoxyhypusine synthase, on endothelial cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Upon treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with GC7, dose-dependent inhibition of hypusine formation and cellular proliferation was observed. GC7 at 10 M caused almost complete inhibition of cellular hypusine synthesis and led to cytostasis of HUVEC. Pretreatment of HUVEC with GC7 up to 50 M for 4 days had little effect on the attachment and differentiation of these cells on Matri-gel and did not cause induction of apoptosis. Instead, the GC7 pretreatment (96 h at 5–50 M) elicited protective effects against apoptotic death of HUVEC induced by serum starvation. These results suggest that eIF-5A may be involved in expression of proteins essential for apoptosis of endothelial cells as well as those for cellular proliferation.     

The hypusine-containing translation factor eIF5A

Abstract

In addition to the small and large ribosomal subunits, aminoacyl-tRNAs, and an mRNA, cellular protein synthesis is dependent on translation factors. The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) and its bacterial ortholog elongation factor P (EF-P) were initially characterized based on their ability to stimulate methionyl-puromycin (Met-Pmn) synthesis, a model assay for protein synthesis; however, the function of these factors in cellular protein synthesis has been difficult to resolve. Interestingly, a conserved lysine residue in eIF5A is post-translationally modified to hypusine and the corresponding lysine residue in EF-P from at least some bacteria is modified by the addition of a β-lysine moiety. In this review, we provide a summary of recent data that have identified a novel role for the translation factor eIF5A and its hypusine modification in the elongation phase of protein synthesis and more specifically in stimulating the production of proteins containing runs of consecutive proline residues.     

The Drosophila deoxyhypusine hydroxylase homologue nero and its target eIF5A are required for cell growth and the regulation of autophagy

Hypusination is a unique posttranslational modification by which lysine is transformed into the atypical amino acid hypusine. eIF5A (eukaryotic initiation factor 5A) is the only known protein to contain hypusine. In this study, we describe the identification and characterization of nero, the Drosophila melanogaster deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH) homologue. nero mutations affect cell and organ size, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, and autophagy. Knockdown of the hypusination target eIF5A via RNA interference causes phenotypes similar to nero mutations. However, loss of nero appears to cause milder phenotypes than loss of eIF5A. This is partially explained through a potential compensatory mechanism by which nero mutant cells up-regulate eIF5A levels. The failure of eIF5A up-regulation to rescue nero mutant phenotypes suggests that hypusination is required for eIF5A function. Furthermore, expression of enzymatically impaired forms of DOHH fails to rescue nero clones, indicating that hypusination activity is important for nero function. Our data also indicate that nero and eIF5A are required for cell growth and affect autophagy and protein synthesis.