Phosphorylation of elongation factor 1 in polyribosome fraction of rabbit reticulocytes.

A single protein, Mr approximately 50000, is shown to be phosphorylated during incubation of a mono- and polyribosome fraction of rabbit reticulocytes with [gamma-32P]ATP at a low ionic strength. This protein has been identified as the elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1 alpha). The phosphorylated EF-1 alpha, in contrast to the unmodified factor, is not detected in complexes with mono- and polyribosomes. It is suggested that the phosphorylation of EF-1 alpha can result in its decompartmentation from polyribosomes and thus affect the rate of protein synthesis.