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Published on: September 27, 2015
Characterisation of a cDNA encoding chick eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2 beta
K J Sneesby1, D I Crane, W G Murrell
1School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.
Abstract:
A full length cDNA for the beta subunit of chick (Gallus gallus) eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2 is described. This cDNA was isolated by screening a chick cDNA library with a probe derived via differential display of developing chick heart tissue. Up-regulated expression of eIF-2 beta mRNA was confirmed by reverse Northern dot blot analysis. eIF-2 beta, together with eIF-2 alpha and eIF-2 gamma, comprise subunits of a complex that promotes the binding of methionyl-tRNA to ribosomes during the initiation of protein translation. The nucleotide sequence of the chick eIF-2 beta cDNA predicts a protein of 334 amino acids that has 95%, 93%, 56% and 37% sequence identity with rabbit, human, drosophila and yeast eIF-2 beta, respectively. The deduced eIF-2 beta protein contains a number of functional motifs and domains consistent with the putative function of this protein; these include a potential C2-C2 zinc-finger binding domain, three polylysine regions, and three acidic regions.
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