Translation Factors Structural Biology Unit

We plan to conduct studies on three dimensional structures of the translation factors and/or the ribosome, mainly by X-ray crystallography, focusing on the structural analysis of the large complexes that function in the eukaryotic translational system, in order to reveal the complicated mechanisms of eukaryotic translation.

Research Fields

Biology & Biochemistry / Molecular Biology & Genetics

Research Subjects

• Structural biology on translational system in eukaryotes
• Development of the sample preparation methods suitable for the crystallization of macromolecular complexes

Publications

1. Hanawa-Suetsugu, K., Kukimoto-Niino, M., Mishima-Tsumagari, C., Akasaka, R., Ohsawa, N., Sekine, S.-I., Ito, T., Tochio, N., Koshiba, S., Kigawa, T., Terada, T., Shirouzu, M., Nishikimi, A., Uruno, T., Katakai, T., Kinashi, T., Kohda, D., Fukui, Y. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Structural basis for mutual relief of the Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK2 and its partner ELMO1 from their autoinhibited forms"
   Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109, 3305-10 (2012).
2. Georges, L., Goto-Ito, S., Yoshida, K., Ito, T., Yokoyama, S. and Hou, Y.-M.:
   "Differentiating analogous tRNA methyltransferases by fragments of the methyl donor"
   RNA 17, 1236-1246 (2011).
3. Ito, T. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Two enzymes bound to one transfer RNA assume alternative conformations for consecutive reactions"
   Nature 467, 612-616 (2010).
4. Ito, T., Kiyasu, N., Matsunaga, R., Takahashi, S. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Crystal structure of nondiscriminating glutamyl-tRNA synthetase from Thermotoga maritima"
   Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 66, 813-820 (2010).
5. Goto-Ito, S., Ito, T., Kuratani, M., Bessho, Y. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Tertiary structure checkpoint at anticodon loop modification in tRNA functional maturation"
   Nat Struct Mol Biol 16, 1109-1115 (2009).
6. Hiyama, T.B., Ito, T., Imataka, H. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Crystal Structure of the alpha subunit of human translation initiation factor 2B"
   J Mol Biol 392, 937-951 (2009).
7. Goto-Ito, S., Ito, T., Ishii, R., Muto, Y., Bessho, Y. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Crystal Structure of Archaeal tRNA (m¹G37) methyltransferase aTRM5"
   PROTEINS: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics 72, 1274-1289 (2008).
8. Goto-Ito, S., Ishii, R., Ito, T., Shibata, R., Fusatomi E., Sekine, S., Bessho, Y. and Yokoyama, S.:
   "Structure of an archaeal TYW1, the enzyme catalyzing the second step of wye-base biosynthesis"
   Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 63, 1059-1068 (2007).
9. *Ito, T., Marintchev, A. and Wagner, G.:
   "Solution structure of human initiation factor eIF2α reveals homology to the elongation factor eEF1B"
   Structure (Camb) 12, 1693-1704 (2004).