Mutations in the alpha subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) that overcome the inhibitory effect of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation on translation initiation.

Phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the protein kinase GCN2 leads to inhibition of general translation initiation and a specific increase in translation of GCN4 mRNA. We isolated mutations in the eIF-2 alpha structural gene that do not affect the growth rate of wild-type yeast but which suppress the toxic effects of eIF-2 alpha hyperphosphorylation catalyzed by mutationally activated forms of GCN2. These eIF-2 alpha mutations also impair translational derepression of GCN4 in strains expressing wild-type GCN2 protein. All four mutations alter single amino acids within 40 residues of the phosphorylation site in eIF-2 alpha; however, three alleles do not decrease the level of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation. We propose that these mutations alter the interaction between eIF-2 and its recycling factor eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF-2B) in a way that diminishes the inhibitory effect of phosphorylated eIF-2 on the essential function of eIF-2B in translation initiation. These mutations may identify a region in eIF-2 alpha that participates directly in a physical interaction with the GCN3 subunit of eIF-2B.