Identification of a soluble protein that stimulates peptide bond synthesis.

A soluble protein factor was isolated, free of elongation factor (EF)-T and EF-G, based on its ability to stimulate the synthesis of peptide bonds using ribosomal bound 70S-AUG-N-formyl-[35S]methionyl-tRNA complex and added puromycin as substrates. Over 90% of this activity was found in the ribosome-free cytoplasm of Escherichia coli extracts. Otherfeatures such as molecular weight, purification properties, and catalytic activities distinguish this factor from ribosomal proteins and known activators of translation. The factor requires all components needed for peptide bond synthesis and is inhibited by antibiotics known to specifically block the peptidyl transferase activity of ribosomes. The factor increases the binding affinity of the ribosome for the aminoacyl-tRNA analog puromycin about 10-fold. We suggest that this extraribosomal factor modulates the intrinsic activity of ribosomes to catalyze peptide-bond synthesis, and regard it as a new factor required for peptide chain elongation, which we call EF-P.