Crystal structures of nucleotide exchange intermediates in the eEF1A-eEF1Balpha complex.
Andersen, G.R., Valente, L., Pedersen, L., Kinzy, T.G., Nyborg, J.(2001) Nat Struct Biol 8: 531-534
- PubMed: 11373622 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/88598
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1G7C, 1IJE, 1IJF - PubMed Abstract: 
In the elongation cycle of protein biosynthesis, the nucleotide exchange factor eEF1Balpha catalyzes the exchange of GDP bound to the G-protein, eEF1A, for GTP. To obtain more information about the recently solved eEF1A-eEF1Balpha structure, we determined the structures of the eEF1A-eEF1Balpha-GDP-Mg2+, eEF1A-eEF1Balpha-GDP and eEF1A-eEF1Balpha-GDPNP complexes at 3.0, 2.4 and 2.05 A resolution, respectively. Minor changes, specifically around the nucleotide binding site, in eEF1A and eEF1Balpha are consistent with in vivo data. The base, sugar and alpha-phosphate bind as in other known nucleotide G-protein complexes, whereas the beta- and gamma-phosphates are disordered. A mutation of Lys 205 in eEF1Balpha that inserts into the Mg2+ binding site of eEF1A is lethal. This together with the structures emphasizes the essential role of Mg2+ in nucleotide exchange in the eEF1A-eEF1Balpha complex.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Institute of Molecular and Structural Biology, University of Aarhus, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark. grand@imsb.au.dk