Isolation and partial characterization of a protein synthesis inhibitor from brine shrimp embryos

Encysted embryos of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, contain an inhibitor of protein synthesis that appears to be important in translational control. In cyst homogenates, the inhibitor appears to be partitioned almost equally between the cytosol and ribosome fractions and it has been purified from both fractions to near homogeneity. In a cell-free protein-synthesizing system derived from Artemia cysts, with poly(U) as messenger, the protein inhibits polyphenylalanine synthesis proportional to inhibitor concentration up to about 75% inhibition, and the primary site of action appears to be at the elongation step. The inhibitor activity is not altered by 50-150 mM KCl in the reaction mixture, but it is slightly more effective at 5 mM MgCl2 than at 10 mM MgCl2. The inhibitor is a heat-labile protein of 130000 molecular weight and is devoid of hydrolase activity. Our data indicate that the inhibitor is not elongation factor EF-1 or EF-2, but we are studying the possibility that it may be a modified form of elongation factor EF-2.