Structural basis of elongation factor 2 switching

Archaebacterial and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (EF-2) and bacterial elongation factor G (EF-G) are five domain GTPases that catalyze the ribosomal translocation of tRNA and mRNA. In the classical mechanism of activation, GTPases are switched on through GDP/GTP exchange, which is accompanied by the ordering of two flexible segments called switch I and II. However, crystal structures of EF-2 and EF-G have thus far not revealed the...