Elongation factor 1-alpha 2 is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''EEF1A2''
gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
.
Function
This gene encodes an isoform of the alpha subunit of the
elongation factor-1 complex, which is responsible for the enzymatic delivery of
aminoacyl tRNA
Aminoacyl-tRNA (also aa-tRNA or charged tRNA) is tRNA to which its cognate amino acid is chemically bonded (charged). The aa-tRNA, along with particular elongation factors, deliver the amino acid to the ribosome for incorporation into the polype ...
s to the
ribosome
Ribosomes () are molecular machine, macromolecular machines, found within all cell (biology), cells, that perform Translation (biology), biological protein synthesis (messenger RNA translation). Ribosomes link amino acids together in the order s ...
. This isoform (alpha 2) is expressed in brain, heart and skeletal muscle, and the other isoform (
alpha 1) is expressed in brain, placenta, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas.
Clinical significance
This gene may be critical in the development of
ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
.
Regulation
EEF1A2 is a direct target of
miRNA-663 and
miRNA-744.
References
Further reading
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External links
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