Characterization of the elongation factors from calf brain. 1. Purification, molecular and immunological properties.

This work describes a method for the purification of the elongation factors (EF) from calf brain. The elongation factor responsible for the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome is found in this organ as a light form (EF-1 alpha) and as a component of heavy, polydispersed aggregates (EF-1H). EF-1 beta, the factor enhancing the EF-1 alpha GDP/GTP exchange, is part of EF-1H and of smaller aggregates. The fraction of EF-1 alpha and EF-1 beta not associated with EF-1H, and EF-2 have been purified to homogeneity after several chromatographic steps. EF-1H consists of many proteins; among them, EF-1 alpha, EF-1 beta and an EF-1 gamma-like protein represent three of the major components. This conclusively shows that EF-1H from calf brain is not a polydispersed aggregate of only EF-1 alpha. EF-1 beta has also been purified to homogeneity from EF-1H. The property of EF-1 beta to aggregate with other proteins suggests that this factor plays an important role in the organization of EF-1H. The relative molecular mass of the purified factors have been determined as: EF-1 alpha, 50,000; EF-1 beta, 30,000; the EF-1 gamma-like component, 49,000; EF-2, 85,000. Some cross-reactivity with the antibodies against the prokaryotic counterparts has been shown for EF-1 alpha, EF-1 beta and EF-2 by functional and immuno-precipitation methods, suggesting the existence of structural homologies.