Structure-function relationship in Escherichia coli translational initiation factors. Characterization of IF-3 by high resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Translational initiation factor-3 (IF-3) was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy as a function of pH and temperature and following chemical modifications. Spin-lattice relaxation times for individual resonances and bands were also measured. Several resonances were assigned to different amino acid residues by different criteria. Among these are the CH3-N of the N-terminal methionine which appears free, mobile, and very sensitive to the modification of several physicochemical parameters as well as the 3,5 and 2,6 protons of the three tyrosines (two of which play a role in the function of IF-3) which were found to be located in different magnetic environments. Two of these residues appear to be close to each other and in the vicinity of a slow reacting arginine within the tertiary structure of the factor. The properties and the titration behavior of the imidazole proton resonances suggest that the single His residue is partially buried in the protein structure. Characteristic of the IF-3 spectrum also is the presence of an abundant subset of Arg delta-CH2, Lys epsilon-CH2, and CH3 protons displaying clear cut upfield perturbations. These are probably due to the coming together of two or more apolar "fronts" which possibly arise from distant parts of the molecule and result in the close proximity between aromatic rings and aliphatic side chains. The IF-3 spectrum also includes several distinct methyl resonances significantly shifted upfield by aromatic ring currents. Overall, the characteristics of the spectrum, its relative insensitivity to temperature and ionic strength, and the existence of extensive cross-relaxation phenomena indicate that IF-3 has a highly folded tertiary structure with abundant hydrophobic regions. In spite of some heterogeneity in the distribution of the side chain environments, no indication was found for the existence of distinct domains or, at least, of extensive regions with higher mobility.