Review

Diphthamide - a conserved modification of eEF2 with clinical relevance.



Publication Details
Authors:
Schaffrath, R.

Publication year:
2024
Journal:
Trends in Molecular Medicine
Pages range :
164-177
Volume number:
30
Issue number:
2
Start page:
164
End page:
177
ISSN:
1471-4914
DOI-Link der Erstveröffentlichung:


Abstract
Diphthamide, a complex modification on eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2), assures reading-frame fidelity during translation. Diphthamide and enzymes for its synthesis are conserved in eukaryotes and archaea. Originally identified as target for diphtheria toxin (DT) in humans, its clinical relevance now proves to be broader than the link to pathogenic bacteria. Diphthamide synthesis enzymes (DPH1 and DPH3) are associated with cancer, and DPH gene mutations can cause diphthamide deficiency syndrome (DDS). Finally, new analyses provide evidence that diphthamide may restrict propagation of viruses including SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1, and that DPH enzymes are targeted by viruses for degradation to overcome this restriction. This review describes how diphthamide is synthesized and functions in translation, and covers its clinical relevance in human development, cancer, and infectious diseases.

Last updated on 2024-26-03 at 15:17