Interaction between the keratin cytoskeleton and eEF1B[gamma] affects protein synthesis in epithelial cells

Eukaryotic elongation factor-1 (eEF1) is essential for peptide-chain elongation during translation. We report that its gamma subunit (eEF1Bgamma) specifically binds, and bundles, keratin intermediate filaments. Disrupting this interaction depresses translation by approximately 20% and selectively increases 80S ribosomes in epithelial cells, an outcome recapitulated by RNA interference-mediated silencing of eEF1Bgamma. These findings extend the emerging relationship between keratin proteins and the translational machinery.