Studies on polypeptide-chain-elongation factors from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus HB8. 3. Molecular properties.

Molecular properties of the polypeptide chain elongation factors from Thermus thermophilus HB8 have been investigated and compared with those from Escherichia coli. 1. As expected, the factors purified from T. thermophilus were exceedingly heat-stable. Even free EF-Tu not complexed with GDP was stable after heating for 5 min at 60 degrees C. 2. GDP binding activity of T. thermophilus EF-Tu was also stable in various protein denaturants, such as 5.5 M urea, 1.5 M guanidine-HCl, and 4 M LiCl. 3. Amino acid compositions of EF-Tu and EF-G from T. thermophilus were similar to those from E. coli. On the other hand, amino acid composition of T. thermophilus EF-Ts was considerably different from that of E. coli EF-Ts. 4. In contrast to E. coli EF-Tu, T. thermophilus EF-Tu contained no free sulfhydryl group, but one disulfide bond. The disulfide bond was cleaved by sodium borohydride or sodium sulfite under native conditions. The heat stability of the reduced EF-Tu . GDP, as measured by GDP binding activity, did not differ from that of the untreated EF-Tu . GDP. 5. T. thermophilus EF-Ts contained, in addition to one disulfide bond, a sulfhydryl group which could be titrated only after complete denaturation of the protein. 6. Under native conditions one sulfhydryl group of T. thermophilus EF-G was titrated with p-chloromercuribenzoate, while the rate of reaction was very sluggish. The sulfhydryl group appears to be essential for interaction with ribosomes, whereas the ability to form a binary GDP . EF-G complex was not affected by its modification. The protein contained also one disulfide bond. 7. Circular dichroic spectra of EF-Tu from T. thermophilus and E. coli were very similar. Binding of GDP or GTP caused a similar spectral change in both. T. thermophilus and E. coli EF-Tu. On the other hand, the spectra of T. thermophilus EF-G and E. coli EF-G were significantly different, the content of ordered structure being higher in the former as compared to the latter.