Cross-linking study on localization of the binding site for elongation factor 1 alpha on rat liver ribosomes

Complexes containing rat liver 80 S ribosomes, poly(uridylic acid), phenylalanyl-tRNA, elongation factor 1 alpha, and guanylyl(beta, gamma-methylene)-diphosphonate were prepared. Neighboring proteins in the complexes were cross-linked with the bifunctional reagent 2-iminothiolane. Proteins were extracted and then separated into 26 fractions by chromatography on carboxymethylcellulose. Each protein fraction was subjected to diagonal polyacrylamide-sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Four cross-linked pairs containing elongation factor 1 alpha were on the vertical line below the diagonal. The ribosomal protein spot of each pair was cut out from the gel plate and labeled with 125I. The labeled proteins were extracted from the gel and identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, followed by autoradiography. The following proteins of both 60 S and 40 S subunits were identified: L12, L23, L39, S23/S24, and S26, three proteins of which had been found to be cross-linked also to elongation factor 2 (Uchiumi, T., Kikuchi, M., Terao, K., Iwasaki, K., and Ogata, K. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 156, 37-44). These results afford direct evidence that both elongation factors interact with partially overlapping sites on rat liver ribosomes.