Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
10:24
Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment
Published on: September 27, 2015
Translation elongation factor eEF1A2 is essential for post-weaning survival in mice
H J Newbery1, D H Loh1, J E O'Donoghue1
1Medical Genetics, Molecular Medicine Centre, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom and.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|July 21, 2007
Summary
Loss of translation elongation factor eEF1A2 causes abnormalities in wasted mice. New antibodies reveal eEF1A2 expression in unexpected tissues, clarifying the genetic basis of the wasted mouse phenotype.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Translation elongation factor eEF1A has two variants: eEF1A1 (ubiquitous) and eEF1A2 (muscle/brain restricted).
- Specific antibodies for variant analysis were previously unavailable.
- Wasted mice (wst/wst) possess a deletion affecting eEF1A2, but impact on neighboring genes was unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate specific antibodies for eEF1A1 and eEF1A2 variant analysis.
- To determine the precise expression patterns of eEF1A1 and eEF1A2.
- To elucidate the role of eEF1A2 in the phenotype of wasted mice.
Main Methods:
- Generation of anti-peptide antibodies specific to eEF1A1 and eEF1A2.
- Immunohistochemical analysis of eEF1A1 and eEF1A2 expression in various tissues.
- Transgenic experiments to assess gene expression changes in wasted mice.
Main Results:
- eEF1A2 is highly expressed in pancreatic islet cells and enteroendocrine cells, previously thought to lack expression.
- eEF1A1 and eEF1A2 expression patterns are generally mutually exclusive.
- Wasted mouse phenotype, including motor neuron degeneration, correlates with eEF1A1/eEF1A2 expression imbalance; immune abnormalities stem from a stress response.
Conclusions:
- Loss of eEF1A2 function is the sole cause of abnormalities in wasted mice.
- The study clarifies the tissue-specific expression of eEF1A2 and its critical role.
- New antibodies enable accurate analysis of eEF1A1 and eEF1A2 expression.
Related Concept Videos
02:35Transcription Elongation Factors
Transcription elongation is a dynamic process that alters depending upon the sequence heterogeneity of the DNA being transcribed. Hence, it is not surprising that the elongation complex's composition also varies along the way while transcribing a gene.
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
02:07Improving Translational Accuracy
Base complementarity between the three base pairs of mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon is not a failsafe mechanism. Inaccuracies can range from a single mismatch to no correct base pairing at all. The free energy difference between the correct and nearly correct base pairs can be as small as 3 kcal/ mol. With complementarity being the only proofreading step, the estimated error frequency would be one wrong amino acid in every 100 amino acids incorporated. However, error frequencies observed in...