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Universally conserved translation initiation factors

N C Kyrpides1, C R Woese

  • 1Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B103 Chemistry and Life Sciences, MC 110, 407 South Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. nikos@darwin.life.uiuc.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 21, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Translation initiation factors in bacteria and eukaryotes, once thought unrelated, show evolutionary links. This suggests a primitive translation system existed in the universal ancestor, later refined independently.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Translation initiation is crucial for protein synthesis.
  • Bacterial (IF) and eukaryotic (eIF) initiation factors were considered unrelated, implying separate evolutionary paths.
  • This raised questions about translation mechanisms in the universal ancestor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary relationship between bacterial and eukaryotic translation initiation factors.
  • To determine if components of translation initiation existed in the universal ancestor.

Main Methods:

  • Sequence analysis to compare bacterial IF-1 and eukaryotic eIF-1A.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to assess the distribution of translation factor SUI1.
  • Homology searches to compare eukaryotic eIF-5A and bacterial EF-P.
Keywords:
NASA Discipline ExobiologyNon-NASA Center

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Main Results:

  • Bacterial IF-1 and eukaryotic eIF-1A share sequence homology, indicating a common origin.
  • The eukaryotic translation factor SUI1 is found universally across domains of life.
  • Eukaryotic eIF-5A is homologous to the bacterial translation factor EF-P.

Conclusions:

  • Rudimentary translation initiation mechanisms were likely present in the universal ancestor.
  • Distinct evolutionary pathways led to the specialized translation initiation systems in bacteria and archaea/eukaryotes.