A class of eukaryotic GTPase with a punctate distribution suggesting multiple functional replacements of translation elongation factor 1α

Translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α, or EF-Tu in bacteria) is a highly conserved core component of the translation machinery that is shared by all cellular life. It is part of a large superfamily of GTPases that are involved in translation initiation, elongation, and termination, as well as several other cellular functions. Eukaryotic EF-1α (eEF-1α) is well studied and widely sampled and has been used extensively for phylogenetic analyses....