Response of EIF2AK4 (GCN2) to amino acid deficiency

Response of EIF2AK4 (GCN2) to amino acid deficiency EIF2AK4 (GCN2) senses amino acid deficiency by binding uncharged tRNAs near the ribosome and responds by phosphorylating EIF2S1, the alpha subunit of the translation initiation factor EIF2 (inferred from yeast homologs and mouse homologs, reviewed in Chaveroux et al. 2010, Castilho et al. 2014, Gallinetti et al. 2013, Bröer and Bröer 2017, Wek 2018). Phosphorylated EIF2S1 reduces translation of most mRNAs but increases translation of downstream ORFs in mRNAs such as ATF4 that contain upstream ORFs (inferred from mouse homologs in Vattem and Wek 2004, reviewed in Hinnebusch et al. 2016, Sonenberg and Hinnebusch 2009). ATF4, in turn, activates expression of genes involved in responding to amino acid deficiency such as DDIT3 (CHOP), ASNS (asparagine synthetase), CEBPB, and ATF3 (reviewed in Kilberg et al. 2012, Wortel et al. 2017). In mice, EIF2AK4 in the brain may responsible for avoidance of diets lacking essential amino acids (Hao et al. 2005, Maurin et al. 2005, see also Leib and Knight 2015, Gietzen et al. 2016, reviewed in Dever and Hinnebusch 2005).
EIF2AK4 is bound to both the ribosome and GCN1, which is required for activation of EIF2AK4 and may act by shuttling uncharged tRNAs from the A site of the ribosome to EIF2AK4. Upon binding tRNA, EIF2AK4 trans-autophosphorylates. Phosphorylated EIF2AK4 then phosphorylates EIF2S1 on serine-52, the same serine residue phosphorylated by other kinases of the integrated stress response: EIF2AK1 (HRI, activated by heme deficiency and other stresses), EIF2AK2 (PKR, activated by double-stranded RNA), and EIF2AK3 (PERK, activated by unfolded proteins) (reviewed in Hinnebusch 1994, Wek et al. 2006, Donnelly et al. 2013, Pakos-Zebrucka et al. 2016, Wek 2018),