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.