H, C, and N backbone chemical shift assignments of mGTP cap-bound Leishmania initiation factor 4E-1.

Most of the translational control of gene expression in higher eukaryotes occurs during the initiation step of protein synthesis. While this process is well characterized in mammalian cells, it is less defined in parasites, including the ones that cause human Leishmaniasis. The Leishmania cap-binding isoform 1 (LeishIF4E-1) is the only isoform that binds the specific trypanosomatids-specific hypermethylated 5' cap, called cap-4, in the human stage of the parasite life cycle. We report here the extensive NMR resonance assignment of LeishIF4E-1 bound to a cap analog, mGTP. The chemical shift data constitute a prerequisite to understanding specific translation initiation mechanisms used in Leishmania parasites and to developing antiparasitic drugs targeting their translation initiation factors.