Medical Definition of Elongation factor
1.
Peptidyltransferase components of ribosomes that catalyse formation of the acyl bond between the incoming amino acid residue and the peptide chain.
There are three classes of elongation factor: EF1_ (EF Tu in prokaryotes) binds GTP and aminoacyl tRNA, delivering it to the A site of ribosomes. EF 1_ (EF Ts) helps in regeneration of GTP EF 1_. EF 2 (EF G) binds GTP and peptidyl tRNA and translocates it from the A site to the P site. Diptheria toxin inhibits protein synthesis in eukaryotes by adding an ADP ribosyl group to a modified histidine residue (dipthamide) in elongation factor II.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Elongation Factor
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