Alternatively spliced transcripts from the Drosophila eIF4E gene produce two different Cap-binding proteins

J Biol Chem. 1996 Jul 5;271(27):16393-8. doi: 10.1074/jbc.271.27.16393.

Abstract

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is the subunit of eIF4F that binds to the cap structure at the 5' end of messenger RNA and is a critical component for the regulation of translation initiation. Using 7-methyl-GTP-Sepharose affinity chromatography, two distinct cap-binding proteins that migrate on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at approximately 35 kDa were purified from Drosophila adults. Peptide microsequence analysis indicated that these two proteins differ at their amino termini. Analysis of a set of cDNA clones encoding eIF4E led to the conclusion that the two different protein isoforms, which we term eIF4EI and eIF4EII, result from three alternatively spliced transcripts from a single eIF4E gene, which maps to region 67A8-B2 on polytene chromosomes. The three eIF4E transcripts also vary greatly in the lengths of their 5'-UTRs, suggesting the possibility of complex translational control of expression of the two eIF4E isoforms.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism*
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E
  • Exons
  • Genes, Insect*
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Introns
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Initiation Factors / biosynthesis*
  • Peptide Initiation Factors / genetics*
  • Peptide Initiation Factors / isolation & purification
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Triticum / genetics

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E
  • Peptide Initiation Factors
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/U54469