Crystal Structure of Hypusine-Containing Translation Factor eIF5A Bound to a Rotated Eukaryotic Ribosome

•Crystal structure of the eukaryotic ribosome bound to translation factor eIF5A.•The ribosome is trapped in a rotated state.•The structure suggests a link between ribosome motions and eIF5A binding/release.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF5A promotes protein synthesis by resolving polyproline-induced ribosomal stalling. Here, we report a 3.25-Å resolution crystal structure of eIF5A bound to the yeast 80S ribosome. The structure reveals a previously unseen conformation of an eIF5A–ribosome complex and highlights a possible functional link between conformational changes of the ribosome during protein synthesis and the eIF5A–ribosome association.

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