A comparative study of small molecules targeting eIF4A

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR kinase pathway is extensively deregulated in human cancers. One critical node under regulation of this signaling axis is eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4F, a complex involved in the control of translation initiation rates. eIF4F-dependent addictions arise during tumor initiation and maintenance due to increased eIF4F activity-generally in response to elevated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling flux. There is thus much interest in exploring eIF4F as a small molecule target for the development of new anticancer drugs. The DEAD-box RNA helicase, eIF4A, is an essential subunit of eIF4F, and several potent small molecules (rocaglates, hippuristanol, pateamine A) affecting its activity have been identified and shown to demonstrate anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo in preclinical models. Recently, a number of new small molecules have been reported as having the capacity to target and inhibit eIF4A. Here, we undertook a comparative analysis of their biological activity and specificity relative to the eIF4A inhibitor, hippuristanol.

Plant cap-binding complexes eukaryotic initiation factors eIF4F and eIFISO4F: molecular specificity of subunit binding

The initiation of translation in eukaryotes requires a suite of eIFs that include the cap-binding complex, eIF4F. eIF4F is comprised of the subunits eIF4G and eIF4E and often the helicase, eIF4A. The eIF4G subunit serves as an assembly point for other initiation factors, whereas eIF4E binds to the 7-methyl guanosine cap of mRNA. Plants have an isozyme form of eIF4F (eIFiso4F) with comparable subunits, eIFiso4E and eIFiso4G. Plant eIF4A is very loosely associated with the plant cap-binding complexes. The specificity of interaction of the individual subunits of the two complexes was previously unknown. To address this issue, mixed complexes (eIF4E-eIFiso4G or eIFiso4E-eIF4G) were expressed and purified from Escherichia coli for biochemical analysis. The activity of the mixed complexes in in vitro translation assays correlated with the large subunit of the respective correct complex. These results suggest that the eIF4G or eIFiso4G subunits influence translational efficiency more than the cap-binding subunits. The translation assays also showed varying responses of the mRNA templates to eIF4F or eIFiso4F, suggesting that some level of mRNA discrimination is possible. The dissociation constants for the correct complexes have K(D) values in the subnanomolar range, whereas the mixed complexes were found to have K(D) values in the ∼10 nm range. Displacement assays showed that the correct binding partner readily displaces the incorrect binding partner in a manner consistent with the difference in K(D) values. These results show molecular specificity for the formation of plant eIF4F and eIFiso4F complexes and suggest a role in mRNA discrimination during initiation of translation.

Rapamycin limits formation of active eukaryotic initiation factor 4F complex following meal feeding in rat hearts

Feeding promotes protein synthesis in cardiac muscle through a stimulation of the messenger RNA translation initiation phase of protein synthesis by enhancing assembly of active eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4F complex. The experiments reported herein examined the potential role for a rapamycin-sensitive signaling pathway in increasing formation of active eIF4G-eIF4E complex during meal feeding. Hearts from male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a meal consisting of rat nonpurified diet were sampled prior to and 3 h following the meal in the presence or absence of treatment with rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1. Rapamycin prevented the meal feeding-induced stimulation of myocardial protein synthesis. Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin decreased the association of rapamycin-associated TOR protein with mTOR and prevented the feeding-induced assembly of eIF4G-eIF4E complex. In contrast, the abundance of eIF4E binding protein-1 (4E-BP1)-eIF4E complex was unaffected by either meal feeding or rapamycin. Pretreatment with rapamycin completely prevented the feeding-induced phosphorylation of eIF4G(Ser(1108)), whereas the inhibitor only partially attenuated meal feeding-induced 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase1(Thr(389)) phosphorylation and extent of 4E-BP1 in the gamma-form. Meal feeding-induced phosphorylation of protein kinase B on either Ser(473) or Thr(308) was unaffected by rapamycin. These findings suggest the extent of phosphorylation of eIF4G following meal feeding occurs by a rapamycin-sensitive mechanism in cardiac muscle. Furthermore, the rapamycin-sensitive reductions in phosphorylation of eIF4G may also lead to decreased formation of active eIF4G-eIF4E complex.

Caliciviruses differ in their functional requirements for eIF4F components

Two classes of viruses, namely members of the Potyviridae and Caliciviridae, use a novel mechanism for the initiation of protein synthesis that involves the interaction of translation initiation factors with a viral protein covalently linked to the viral RNA, known as VPg. The calicivirus VPg proteins can interact directly with the initiation factors eIF4E and eIF3. Translation initiation on feline calicivirus (FCV) RNA requires eIF4E because it is inhibited by recombinant 4E-BP1. However, to date, there have been no functional studies carried out with respect to norovirus translation initiation, because of a lack of a suitable source of VPg-linked viral RNA. We have now used the recently identified murine norovirus (MNV) as a model system for norovirus translation and have extended our previous studies with FCV RNA to examine the role of the other eIF4F components in translation initiation. We now demonstrate that, as with FCV, MNV VPg interacts directly with eIF4E, although, unlike FCV RNA, translation of MNV RNA is not sensitive to 4E-BP1, eIF4E depletion, or foot-and-mouth disease virus Lb protease-mediated cleavage of eIF4G. We also demonstrate that both FCV and MNV RNA translation require the RNA helicase component of the eIF4F complex, namely eIF4A, because translation was sensitive (albeit to different degrees) to a dominant negative form and to a small molecule inhibitor of eIF4A (hippuristanol). These results suggest that calicivirus RNAs differ with respect to their requirements for the components of the eIF4F translation initiation complex.