A comparison of the activities of the products of the two genes for elongation factor Tu.

The two species of Elongation Factor Tu coded for by the tufA and tufB genes were synthesized in UV-irradiated E coli infected by transducing phages bearing the separate genes. Both proteins interact similarly with EFTs, GDP, and phe-tRNA. Although the phe-tRNA.EFTu.GMP.PNP complex containing the tufA gene product binds somewhat more tightly to ribosomes, both proteins promote the complete process of binding phe tRNA to ribosomes at similar rates.