Localization and genomic structure of human deoxyhypusine synthase gene on chromosome 19p13.2-distal 19p13.1

Insights into eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A: Its role and mechanisms in protein synthesis

The protein synthesis within eukaryotic cells is a complex process involving various translation factors. Among these factors, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) emerges as a crucial translation factor with high evolutionary conservation. eIF5A is unique as it is the only protein in eukaryotic cells containing the hypusine modification. Initially presumed to be a translation initiation factor, eIF5A was subsequently discovered to act mainly during the translation elongation phase. Notably, eIF5A facilitates the translation of peptide sequences containing polyproline stretches and exerts a universal regulatory effect on the elongation and termination phases of protein synthesis. Additionally, eIF5A indirectly affects various physiological processes within the cell by modulating the translation of specific proteins. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the structure, physiological functions, various post-translational modifications of eIF5A, and its association with various human diseases. The comparison between eIF5A and its bacterial homolog, EF-P, extends the discussion to the evolutionary conservation of eIF5A. This highlights its significance across different domains of life.

Hypusination-induced DHPS/eIF5A pathway as a new therapeutic strategy for human diseases: A mechanistic review and structural classification of DHPS inhibitors

The discovery of new therapeutic strategies for diseases is essential for drug research. Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) is a critical enzyme that modifies the conversion of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) precursor into physiologically active eIF5A (eIF5A-Hyp). Recent studies have revealed that the hypusine modifying of DHPS on eIF5A has an essential regulatory role in human diseases. The hypusination-induced DHPS/eIF5A pathway has been shown to play an essential role in various cancers, and it could regulate immune-related diseases, glucose metabolism-related diseases, neurological-related diseases, and aging. In addition, DHPS has a more defined substrate and a well-defined structure within the active pocket than eIF5A. More and more researchers are focusing on the prospect of advanced development of DHPS inhibitors. This review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of the hypusination-induced DHPS/eIF5A pathway in a variety of diseases in addition to the inhibitors related to this pathway; it highlights and analyzes the structural features and mechanisms of action of DHPS inhibitors and expands the prospects of future drug development using DHPS as an anticancer target.

Half Way to Hypusine-Structural Basis for Substrate Recognition by Human Deoxyhypusine Synthase

Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) is a transferase enabling the formation of deoxyhypusine, which is the first, rate-limiting step of a unique post-translational modification: hypusination. DHS catalyses the transfer of a 4-aminobutyl moiety of polyamine spermidine to a specific lysine of eukaryotic translation factor 5A (eIF5A) precursor in a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent manner. This modification occurs exclusively on one protein, eIF5A, and it is essential for cell proliferation. Malfunctions of the hypusination pathway, including those caused by mutations within the DHS encoding gene, are associated with conditions such as cancer or neurodegeneration. Here, we present a series of high-resolution crystal structures of human DHS. Structures were determined as the apoprotein, as well as ligand-bound states at high-resolutions ranging from 1.41 to 1.69 Å. By solving DHS in complex with its natural substrate spermidine (SPD), we identified the mode of substrate recognition. We also observed that other polyamines, namely spermine (SPM) and putrescine, bind DHS in a similar manner as SPD. Moreover, we performed activity assays showing that SPM could to some extent serve as an alternative DHS substrate. In contrast to previous studies, we demonstrate that no conformational changes occur in the DHS structure upon spermidine-binding. By combining mutagenesis and a light-scattering approach, we show that a conserved “ball-and-chain” motif is indispensable to assembling a functional DHS tetramer. Our study substantially advances our knowledge of the substrate recognition mechanism by DHS and may aid the design of pharmacological compounds for potential applications in cancer therapy.

Recruitment of alkaloid-specific homospermidine synthase (HSS) from ubiquitous deoxyhypusine synthase: Does Crotalaria possess a functional HSS that still has DHS activity?

Quinolizidine alkaloids are the most prominent group of alkaloids occurring in legumes, except for many members of the tribe Crotalarieae that accumulate pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). To study the evolution of PA biosynthesis as a typical pathway of plant secondary metabolism in this tribe, we have searched for a cDNA coding for homospermidine synthase (HSS), the enzyme catalyzing the first specific step in this biosynthesis. HSS was shown to have been recruited from deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) by independent gene duplication in several different angiosperm lineages during evolution. Except for a cDNA sequence coding for the DHS of Crotalaria retusa, no data is available concerning the origin of PA biosynthesis within this tribe of the Fabaceae. In addition to several pseudogenes, we have identified one functional DHS in C. scassellatii and two in C. juncea. Despite C. juncea plants under study being devoid of PAs, we have found that the two sequences of C. juncea are different with respect to their genomic organization, their tissue-specific expression, and their biochemical activities. Supported by the branching pattern of a maximum likelihood analysis of these sequences, they have been classified as "class 1" and "class 2" DHS. It remains open whether the duplicated DHS belonging to class 2 is involved in the biosynthesis of PAs.

Evolution of alternative splicing: deletions, insertions and origin of functional parts of proteins from intron sequences

Alternative splicing is thought to be a major source of functional diversity in animal proteins. We analyzed the evolutionary conservation of proteins encoded by alternatively spliced genes and predicted the ancestral state for 73 cases of alternative splicing (25 insertions and 48 deletions). The amino acid sequences of most of the inserts in proteins produced by alternative splicing are as conserved as the surrounding sequences. Thus, alternative splicing often creates novel isoforms by the insertion of new, functional protein sequences that probably originated from noncoding sequences of introns.

Heat stress-induced loss of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) in a human pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2, analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Alterations of intracellular proteins during the process of heat stress-induced cell death of a human pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2, were investigated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), agarose gel electrophoresis, and cell biology techniques. Incubation of MIA PaCa-2 at 45 degrees C for 30 min decreased the cell growth rate and cell viability without causing chromosomal DNA fragmentation. Incubation at 51 degrees C for 30 min suppressed cell growth and again led to death without DNA fragmentation. The cell death was associated with the loss of an intracellular protein of M(r) 17,500 and pI 5.2 on 2-DE gel. This protein was determined to be eukaryotic initiation factor SA (eIF-5A) by microsequencing of the N-terminal region of peptide fragments obtained by cyanogen bromide treatment of the protein blotted onto a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. The sequences detected were QXSALRKNGFVVLKGRP and STSKTGXHGHAKVHLVGID, which were homologous with the sequence of eIF-5A from Gln 20 to Pro 36 and from Ser 43 to Asp 61, respectively. Furthermore, the result of sequencing suggested that the protein was an active form of hypusinated eIF-5A, because Lys 46 could be detected but not Lys 49, which is the site for hypusination. These results suggest that loss of the active form of eIF-5A is an important factor in the irreversible process of heat stress-induced death of MIA PaCa-2 cells.

Cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding homospermidine synthase from Senecio vulgaris (Asteraceae) in Escherichia coli

The enzyme homospermidine synthase catalyzes the NAD+-dependent conversion of 2 mol putrescine into homospermidine. Instead of putrescine, spermidine can substitute for the first putrescine moiety in plants, in which case diaminopropane instead of ammonia is released. The enzyme facilitates the formation of the 'uncommon' polyamine homospermidine which is an important precursor in the biosynthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The first plant homospermidine synthase was purified to apparent chemical homogenity from the root tissue culture Senecio vernalis (Asteraceae) (Böttcher et al. 1994, Can. J. Chem. 72, 80-85; Ober 1997, Dissertation). Four endopeptidase LysC fragments were sequenced from the purified protein. With the aid of degenerate primers against these peptides, a cDNA encoding homospermidine synthase was now cloned and characterized from Senecio vulgaris. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned cDNA revealed an open reading frame of 1155-base pairs containing 385 amino acids with a predicted Mr of 44500. GenBank research revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence shows 59% identity to human deoxyhypusine synthase. The homospermidine synthase encoding cDNA was subcloned into the expression vector pet15b and overexpressed in E. coli. The recombinant enzyme formed upon expression catalyzed homospermidine synthesis.