Modulation of tRNA(iMet), eIF-2, and eIF-2B expression shows that GCN4 translation is inversely coupled to the level of eIF-2.GTP.Met-tRNA(iMet) ternary complexes.

To understand how phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF)-2 alpha in Saccharomyces cerevisiae stimulates GCN4 mRNA translation while at the same time inhibiting general translation initiation, we examined the effects of altering the gene dosage of initiator tRNA(Met), eIF-2, and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for eIF-2, eIF-2B. Overexpression of all three subunits of eIF-2 or all five subunits of eIF-2B suppressed the effects of eIF-2 alpha hyperphosphorylation on both GCN4-specific and general translation initiation. Consistent with eIF-2 functioning in translation as part of a ternary complex composed of eIF-2, GTP, and Met-tRNA(iMet), reduced gene dosage of initiator tRNA(Met) mimicked phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha and stimulated GCN4 translation. In addition, overexpression of a combination of eIF-2 and tRNA(iMet) suppressed the growth-inhibitory effects of eIF-2 hyperphosphorylation more effectively than an increase in the level of either component of the ternary complex alone. These results provide in vivo evidence that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha reduces the activities of both eIF-2 and eIF-2B and that the eIF-2.GTP. Met-tRNA(iMet) ternary complex is the principal component limiting translation in cells when eIF-2 alpha is phosphorylated on serine 51. Analysis of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation in the eIF-2-overexpressing strain also provides in vivo evidence that phosphorylated eIF-2 acts as a competitive inhibitor of eIF-2B rather than forming an excessively stable inactive complex. Finally, our results demonstrate that the concentration of eIF-2-GTP. Met-tRNA(iMet) ternary complexes is the cardinal parameter determining the site of reinitiation on GCN4 mRNA and support the idea that reinitiation at GCN4 is inversely related to the concentration of ternary complexes in the cell.