Ectopic expression of eIF2Bepsilon in rat skeletal muscle rescues the sepsis-induced reduction in guanine nucleotide exchange activity and protein synthesis.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) whose activity is both tightly regulated and rate-controlling with regard to global rates of protein synthesis. Skeletal muscle eIF2B activity and expression of its catalytic epsilon-subunit (eIF2Bepsilon) have been implicated as potential contributors to the altered rates of protein synthesis in a number of physiological conditions and experimental models. The objective of this study was to directly examine the effects of exogenously expressed eIF2Bepsilon in vivo on GEF activity and protein synthetic rates in rat skeletal muscle. A plasmid encoding FLAG-eIF2Bepsilon was transfected into the tibialis anterior (TA) of one leg, while the contralateral TA received a control plasmid. Ectopic expression of eIF2Bepsilon resulted in increased GEF activity in TA homogenates of healthy rats, demonstrating that the expressed protein was catalytically active. In an effort to restore a deficit in eIF2B activity, we utilized an established model of chronic sepsis in which skeletal muscle eIF2B activity is known to be impaired. Ectopic expression of eIF2Bepsilon in the TA rescued the sepsis-induced deficit in GEF activity and muscle protein synthesis. The results demonstrate that modulation of eIF2Bepsilon expression may be sufficient to correct deficits in skeletal muscle protein synthesis associated with sepsis and other muscle-wasting conditions.