Protein Synthesis Elongation Factor Research Articles

Exploring Potential Aquaculture-Immunostimulant-Peptides Derived from Chlorella sorokiniana

Chlorella sorokiniana is a microalgae with an outstanding nutritional profile and numerous therapeutic substances that can be used as an immunostimulant, including in aquaculture. This research aimed to investigate and characterize peptides isolated from C. sorokiniana protein using TCA digestion and hydrolyzed enzymatically with trypsin. Peptides were then subsequently identified using Tandem LC-MS/MS and Mascot Distiller. Results showed that the percentage of pure protein yield following TCA digestion was 54.66%, and 12 peptides with lengths ranging from 7 to 23 sequences were discovered after trypsin digestion. These peptides originated from various enzymes and chloroplast proteins, including protein synthesis elongation factor TU, photosystem I iron-sulfur center, photosystem II 43 kDa, Ycf4, ATP-dependent zinc metalloprotease FtsH homolog, nitrate reductase, chloroplastic glucose-6-phospate dehydrogenase, and ATP synthase CF1 alpha chain. These findings demonstrated that C. sorokiniana might serve as a source of immunostimulant peptides and proteins, particularly for aquaculture biota.

3-Amino-Substituted Analogues of Fusidic Acid as Membrane-Active Antibacterial Compounds.

Fusidic acid (FA) is an antibiotic with high activity against Staphylococcus aureus; it has been used in clinical practice since the 1960s. However, the narrow antimicrobial spectrum of FA limits its application in the treatment of bacterial infections. In this regard, this work aims both at the study of the antimicrobial effect of a number of FA amines and at the identification of their potential biological targets. In this way, FA analogues containing aliphatic and aromatic amino groups and biogenic polyamine, spermine and spermidine, moieties at the C-3 atom, were synthesized (20 examples). Pyrazinecarboxamide-substituted analogues exhibit a high antibacterial activity against S. aureus (MRSA) with MIC ≤ 0.25 μg/mL. Spermine and spermidine derivatives, along with activity against S. aureus, also inhibit the growth and reproduction of Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and have a high fungicidal effect against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The study of the membrane activity demonstrated that the spermidine- and spermine-containing compounds are able to immerse into membranes and disorder the lipidsleading to a detergent effect. Moreover, spermine-based compounds are also able to form ion-permeable pores in the lipid bilayers mimicking the bacterial membranes. Using molecular docking, inhibition of the protein synthesis elongation factor EF-G was proposed, and polyamine substituents were shown to make the greatest contribution to the stability of the complexes of fusidic acid derivatives with biological targets. This suggests that the antibacterial effect of the obtained compounds may be associated with both membrane activity and inhibition of the elongation factor EF-G.

Expression of protein synthesis elongation factors in winter wheat and oat in response to heat stress

The aim of our work was to examine the expression and accumulation of EF-Tu and eEF1A in grain filing stage of five genotypes of winter wheat and one oat genotype in conditions of heat stress. In addition, the correlation between accumulation of elongation factors eEF1A and EF-Tu, and yield components of cereals in the field was investigated. Flag leaf protein samples were analyzed by immunoblotting. Flag leaves were collected under conditions of moderate (23 °C; MT) and high air temperature (38 °C; HT) in a field experiment. After the harvest, grain yield was determined. The yield components, the weight of dry seed and grains number per spike, were assessed in the stage of full physiological maturity of investigated cultivars. Obtained results revealed a difference in the level of EF-Tu accumulation both under conditions of moderate air temperatures and conditions of heat stress among investigated cultivars. Cultivar Zvezdana was the only one that showed increase in EF-Tu accumulation under HT (25%) compared to MT. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the highest increase of eEF1A accumulation (43%) in relation to moderate temperature was detected in cultivar Talas. A significant, positive, linear correlation was found between the expression of eEF1A and small grains productivity under heat-stress conditions.

Modulation of Protein Synthesis by Polyamines in Mammalian Cells.

Polyamines exist mainly as RNA-polyamine complexes in cells. Thus, we looked for proteins whose synthesis is enhanced by polyamines at the level of translation in mammalian cells. Here, we describe how synthesis of Cct2 (T-complex protein 1, β-subunit, a chaperonin assisting in the folding actin, tubulin, and several other proteins) and eEF1A (one of the elongation factors of protein synthesis) is stimulated by polyamines at the level of translation. Polyamines stimulated Cct2 synthesis through the stimulation of ribosome shunting during 5'-processive scanning of 40S ribosomal subunits from the m7G-cap to the initiation codon AUG, and eEF1A synthesis through the structural change of the unusual position of a complementary sequence to 18S rRNA in eEF1A mRNA.

Mitochondrial diseases: Yeast as a model for the study of suppressors

Mitochondrial (mt) tRNA gene mutations are an important cause of human morbidity and are associated with different syndromes. We have previously shown that the mitochondrial protein synthesis elongation factor EF-Tu and isolated sequences from the carboxy-terminal domain of yeast and human mt leucyl-tRNA synthetases (LeuRS), have a wide range of suppression capability among different yeast mt tRNA mutants having defective respiratory phenotype. Here we show that the rescuing capability can be restricted to a specific sequence of six amino acids from the carboxy-terminal domain of mt LeuRS. On the other hand by overexpressing a mutated version of mt EF-Tu in a yeast strain deleted for the endogenous nuclear gene we identified the specific region involved in suppression.Results support the possibility that a small peptide could correct defects associated with many mt tRNA mutations, suggesting a novel therapy for mitochondrial diseases treatment.The involvement of the mt EF-Tu in cellular heat stress response has also been suggested.

Heat-induced accumulation of protein synthesis elongation factor 1A implies an important role in heat tolerance in potato.

Potato eukaryotic elongation factor 1A comprises multiple isoforms, some of which are heat-inducible or heat-upregulated and might be important in alleviating adverse effects of heat stress on plant productivity. Heat stress substantially reduces crop productivity worldwide, and will become more severe due to global warming. Identification of proteins involved in heat stress response may help develop varieties for heat tolerance. Eukaryotic elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) is a cytosolic, multifunctional protein that plays a central role in the elongation phase of translation. Some of the non-canonical eEF1A activities might be important in developing plant heat-stress tolerance. In this study, we investigated effects of heat stress (HS) on eEF1A expression at the protein level in potato, a highly heat vulnerable crop. Our results from both the controlled environment and the field have shown that potato eEF1A is a heat-inducible protein of 49.2-kDa with multiple isoforms (5-8). Increase in eEF1A abundance under HS can be mainly attributed to 2-3 basic polypeptides/isoforms. A significant correlation between eEF1A abundance and the potato productivity in the field was observed in two extremely hot years 2011 and 2012. Genomic Southern blot analysis indicated the existence of multiple genes encoding eEF1A in potato. Identification, isolation and utilization of heat-inducible eEF1A genes might be helpful for the development of the heat-tolerant varieties.

Domain Configuration Defines the Thermodynamic Landscape of Elongation Factor Tu Nucleotide Binding

During protein synthesis Elongation Factor (EF) Tu plays a critical role in maintaining translational fidelity. EF-Tu functions as a molecular switch gating, in a nucleotide-dependent manner, the entrance of aminoacyl (aa)-tRNA into the translating ribosome. Correct codon-anticodon interaction stimulates EF-Tu to hydrolyze GTP to GDP and P i which is followed by a conformational change releasing the bound aa-tRNA. To prevent premature nucleotide exchange on the ribosome EF-Tu has evolved a 60-fold higher affinity for GDP than GTP (1). To this end we investigate what thermodynamic and structural features of EF-Tu give rise to these differences in nucleotide affinity, investigating how this property of EF-Tu contributes to translational fidelity. Here we report a rapid kinetics analysis using the stopped-flow technique to measure the temperature dependence of the rate constants describing nucleotide association and dissociation. This has allowed us to determine the thermodynamic parameters governing these processes. We find that EF-Tu’s affinity to GTP and GDP differ mainly due differences in the transition state energy barriers of dissociation and not association. In addition, we observe that formation of the EF-Tu•GDP complex is enthalpically favored while the EF-Tu•GTP complex is entropically favored. This is consistent with our previous work reporting that the GTP dissociation is entropically driven (2). To provide a structural interpretation of the different thermodynamic contributions to nucleotide binding, we utilized Molecular Dynamic simulations of EF-Tu in its respective nucleotide bound forms. From these simulations we have identified a highly dynamic and transient hydrogen-bonding network that spans all domains of EF-Tu as the likely contributor to stabilizing the GDP conformation, whereas differences in water coordination defined by domain arrangement favor the GTP conformation. Our findings show that EF-Tu has evolutionarily modulated both the entropic and enthalpic contributions to the transition state barrier of nucleotide dissociation by modulating domain configuration in order for the fine-tuning of nucleotide-binding affinities. (1) Kiril B. Gromadzki, Hans-Joachim Wieden, and Marina V. Rodnina. Kinetic mechanism of Elongation Factor Ts-Catalyzed nucleotide exchange in Elongation Factor Tu. Biochemistry 41 , 162-169 (2002). (2) Evan Mercier, Dylan Girodat, Hans-Joachim Wieden. A conserved P-loop anchor limits the structural dynamics that mediate nucleotide dissociation in EF-Tu. Scientific Reports 5 , 1-9 (2015).

Towards functional repertoire of the earliest proteins

The conserved protein sequence motifs present in all prokaryotic proteomes, “omnipresent motifs,” presumably, correspond to the earliest proteins of the Last Universal Cellular Ancestor, from which all the proteomes have descended. Fifteen proteomes, each representing one of the total 15 diverse phyla of 131 Eubacteria and Archea, from which the omnipresent elements have been originally derived, are exhaustively screened. All those proteins which harbor the omnipresent motifs are identified. Six “omnipresent” protein types are revealed which are located in all 15 proteomes: ABC cassettes, FtsH proteases, translation initiation factors, translation elongation factors, isoleucyl-tRNA synthases, and RNA polymerases β’. In addition to the omnipresent motifs, these proteins also contain other highly conserved motifs, standing for additional modules of the proteins. Remarkably, the identified tentative earliest proteins are responsible for only three basic functions: supply of monomers (ABC transporters and proteases), protein synthesis (initiation and elongation factors, aminoacyl-tRNA synthases), and RNA synthesis (polymerases). No enzymes involved in metabolic activities are present in the list of the earliest proteins derived by this approach. Some of the omnipresent sequence motifs are found, indeed, in the metabolic enzymes (e.g. NTP binding motifs), but these enzymes do not make a sequence matching collection of 15 sequences, i.e. they are not omnipresent. Future analysis of less conserved sequence motifs may reveal at what degree of conservation (stage of evolution) the metabolic enzymes could have entered the scene.

Roles of Protein Synthesis Elongation Factor EF-Tu in Heat Tolerance in Plants

EF-Tu proteins of plastids, mitochondria, and the cytosolic counterpart EF-1αin plants, as well as EF-Tu proteins of bacteria, are highly conserved and multifunctional. The functions of EF-Tu include transporting the aminoacyl-tRNA complex to the A site of the ribosome during protein biosynthesis; chaperone activity in protecting other proteins from aggregation caused by environmental stresses, facilitating renaturation of proteins when conditions return to normal; displaying a protein disulfide isomerase activity; participating in the degradation of N-terminally blocked proteins by the proteasome; eliciting innate immunity and triggering resistance to pathogenic bacteria in plants; participating in transcription when anE. colihost is infected with phages. EF-Tu genes are upregulated by abiotic stresses in plants, and EF-Tu plays important role in stress responses. Expression of a plant EF-Tu gene confers heat tolerance inE. coli, maize knock-out EF-Tu null mutants are heat susceptible, and over-expression of an EF-Tu gene improves heat tolerance in crop plants. This review paper summarizes the current knowledge of EF-Tu proteins in stress responses in plants and progress on application of EF-Tu for developing crop varieties tolerant to abiotic stresses, such as high temperatures.

Comparative In Vitro Activities of LFF571 against Clostridium difficile and 630 Other Intestinal Strains of Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteria

The in vitro activities of LFF571, a novel analog of GE2270A that inhibits bacterial growth by binding with high affinity for protein synthesis elongation factor Tu, fidaxomicin, and 10 other antimicrobial agents were determined against 50 strains of Clostridium difficile and 630 other anaerobic and aerobic organisms of intestinal origin. LFF571 possesses potent activity against C. difficile and most other Gram-positive anaerobes (MIC(90), ≤ 0.25 μg/ml), with the exception of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. The MIC(90)s for aerobes, including enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus (as well as methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA] isolates), Streptococcus pyogenes, and other streptococci were 0.06, 0.125, 2, and 8 μg/ml, respectively. Comparatively, fidaxomicin showed variable activity against Gram-positive organisms: MIC(90)s against C. difficile, Clostridium perfringens, and Bifidobacterium spp. were 0.5, ≤ 0.015, and 0.125 μg/ml, respectively, but >32 μg/ml against Clostridium ramosum and Clostridium innocuum. MIC(90) for S. pyogenes and other streptococci was 16 and >32 μg/ml, respectively. LFF571 and fidaxomicin were generally less active against Gram-negative anaerobes.

Independent and Combined Effects of High Temperature and Drought Stress During Grain Filling on Plant Yield and Chloroplast EF-Tu Expression in Spring Wheat

High temperature and drought stress are among the two most important environmental factors influencing crop growth, development and yield processes. These two stresses commonly occur in combination. Objectives of this research were to investigate the independent and combined effects of high temperature and drought stress during grain filling on physiological, vegetative and yield traits and expression of a chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor (EF-Tu) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Two spring wheat cultivars (Pavon-76 and Seri-82) were grown at control temperatures (CT; day/night, 24/14 � C; 16/ 8 h photo/dark period) from sowing to heading. Thereafter, one half of the plants were exposed to high temperature stress (HT; 31/18 � C in Exp. 1 and 34/ 22 � C in Exp. 2), drought stress (withholding water), or a combination of both HT and drought stress. There were significant influences of HT and/or drought stress on physiological, growth and yield traits. There was no cultivar or cultivar by temperature or cultivar by drought interaction effects on most traits. The decreases in leaf photosynthesis were greater at HT compared with drought alone throughout the stress period, and the combination of HT and drought had the lowest leaf photosynthetic rates. Overall, HT or drought had similar effects (about 48‐56 % decrease) on spikelet fertility, grain numbers and grain yield. High temperature decreased grain numbers (by 56 % averaged across both experiments) and individual grain weight (by 25 %), while, respective decreases due to drought were 48 % and 35 %. This suggests that the grain numbers were more sensitive to HT and grain weights to drought for the range of temperatures tested in this research. The interaction between HT and drought stress was significant for total dry weights, harvest index and spikelet fertility, particularly when HT stress was severe (34/22 � C). The combined effects of HT and drought were greater than additive effects of HT or drought alone for leaf chlorophyll content, grain numbers and harvest index. High temperature stress and the combination of HT and drought stress but not drought stress alone resulted in the overexpression of EF-Tu in both spring wheat cultivars.

Analysis of differential protein expression during the early stage of in vitro tuberization in taro

Tuberization is a complex and multilevel developmental process. Many important metabolic changes in the early stage of tuberization are crucial to the tuber differentiation and development. In this study, we attempted to identify proteins differentially expressed in the early stage of in vitro tuberization in taro ( Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum) by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MS). Protein samples from shoot tips cultured in 8% sucrose media at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 d were separated with 2-DE. A total of 13 differentially expressed proteins were analyzed with MS. Four proteins via, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor (EF-Tu), and ankyrin repeat protein HBP1 were successfully identified during in vitro tuberization of taro. This implies that important metabolic changes, including sucrose metabolism, signal transduction and cell defense, occurred in the early stage of in vitro tuberization in taro.

Evolution of Elongation Factor G and the Origins of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Forms

Protein synthesis elongation factor G (EF-G) is an essential protein with central roles in both the elongation and ribosome recycling phases of protein synthesis. Although EF-G evolution is predicted to be conservative, recent reports suggest otherwise. We have characterized EF-G in terms of its molecular phylogeny, genomic context, and patterns of amino acid substitution. We find that most bacteria carry a single "canonical" EF-G, which is phylogenetically conservative and encoded in an str operon. However, we also find a number of EF-G paralogs. These include a pair of EF-Gs that are mostly found together and in an eclectic subset of bacteria, specifically δ-proteobacteria, spirochaetes, and planctomycetes (the "spd" bacteria). These spdEFGs have also given rise to the mitochondrial factors mtEFG1 and mtEFG2, which probably arrived in eukaryotes before the eukaryotic last common ancestor. Meanwhile, chloroplasts apparently use an α-proteobacterial-derived EF-G rather than the expected cyanobacterial form. The long-term comaintenance of the spd/mtEFGs may be related to their subfunctionalization for translocation and ribosome recycling. Consistent with this, patterns of sequence conservation and site-specific evolutionary rate shifts suggest that the faster evolving spd/mtEFG2 has lost translocation function, but surprisingly, the protein also shows little conservation of sites related to recycling activity. On the other hand, spd/mtEFG1, although more slowly evolving, shows signs of substantial remodeling. This is particularly extensive in the GTPase domain, including a highly conserved three amino acid insertion in switch I. We suggest that subfunctionalization of the spd/mtEFGs is not a simple case of specialization for subsets of original activities. Rather, the duplication allows the release of one paralog from the selective constraints imposed by dual functionality, thus allowing it to become more highly specialized. Thus, the potential for fine tuning afforded by subfunctionalization may explain the maintenance of EF-G paralogs.

Role of Phosphatidic Acid in High Temperature Tolerance in Maize

Maize (Zea mays L.) germplasm exhibits large genetic variations in tolerance to high temperature (HT) stress under field conditions, but the mechanisms underling this variation are largely unknown. Based on many years of field observation, maize inbred line B76 consistently displays better tolerance to HT than B106. Heat waves during growing season cause leaf firing in developing leaves and tassel blasting in B106 but not in B76. The difference in HT tolerance between the two inbred lines was confirmed in growth chambers under controlled conditions. The two inbred lines showed similar level in the induction of heat shock proteins and a maize chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor (EF‐Tu), two mechanisms known to involve in HT tolerance in maize. A drastic decrease in photosynthetic system II (PSII) quantum efficiency occurred at 34 to 35°C in B106; in B76, it occurred at a much higher temperature (>38°C). Cell membranes of B76 appeared to be more stable under HT than those of B106 based on electrolyte leakage analysis. Lipid profiles of young developing leaves by lipidomics showed that, among all lipids detected, only phosphatidic acid (PA) exhibited significant higher level in B76 than in B106 under both normal and HT stressed conditions (p < 0.02). Moreover, PA was the only lipid that was significantly increased by HT treatment (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that membrane thermostability is essential to HT tolerance and that PA may play an important role in imparting membrane thermostability, and, hence, HT tolerance in maize.

ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Diphthamide: The Target of Diphtheria Toxin Catalyzed ADP-Ribosylation in Protein Synthesis Elongation Factor 2.

ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Diphthamide: The Target of Diphtheria Toxin Catalyzed ADP-Ribosylation in Protein Synthesis Elongation Factor 2.

Comparative study of the life cycle dependent post-translation modifications of protein synthesis elongation factor Tu present in the membrane proteome of streptomycetes and mycobacteria

We present the results of analysis of membrane phosphoproteomes from individual morphological stages of Streptomyces coelicolor that reflect developmentally dependent heterogeneity and phosphorylation of intrinsic and externally added purified Strepomyces aureofaciens EF-Tu. Fast growing nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis was used as a non-differentiating actinomycetes comparative model. Streptomycetes membrane fraction was found to contain protein kinase(s) catalyzing phosphorylation of both its own and an externally added EF-Tu, whereas Mycobacterium membrane fraction contains protein kinase phosphorylating only its own EF-Tu.

Analysis of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) harboring a maize (Zea mays L.) gene for plastid EF-Tu: segregation pattern, expression and effects of the transgene

We previously reported that transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) carrying a maize (Zea mays L.) gene (Zmeftu1) for chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor, EF-Tu, displays reduced thermal aggregation of leaf proteins, reduced injury to photosynthetic membranes (thylakoids), and enhanced rate of CO(2) fixation following exposure to heat stress (18 h at 45 degrees C) [Fu et al. in Plant Mol Biol 68:277-288, 2008]. In the current study, we investigated the segregation pattern and expression of the transgene Zmeftu1 and determined the grain yield of transgenic plants after exposure to a brief heat stress (18 h at 45 degrees C). We also assessed thermal aggregation of soluble leaf proteins in transgenic plants, testing the hypothesis that increased levels of EF-Tu will lead to a non-specific protection of leaf proteins against thermal aggregation. The transgenic wheat displayed a single-gene pattern of segregation of Zmeftu1. Zmeftu1 was expressed, and the transgenic plants synthesized and accumulated three anti-EF-Tu cross-reacting polypeptides of similar molecular mass but different pI, suggesting the possibility of posttranslational modification of this protein. The transgenic plants also showed better grain yield after exposure to heat stress compared with their non-transgenic counterparts. Soluble leaf proteins of various molecular masses displayed lower thermal aggregation in transgenic than in non-transgenic wheat. The results suggest that overexpression of chloroplast EF-Tu can be beneficial to wheat tolerance to heat stress. Moreover, the results also support the hypothesis that EF-Tu contributes to heat tolerance by acting as a molecular chaperone and protecting heat-labile proteins from thermal aggregation in a non-specific manner.

Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of a green-revertible albino gene gra(t) in rice

Green-revertible albino is a novel type of chlorophyll deficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.), which is helpful for further research in chlorophyll synthesis and chloroplast development to illuminate their molecular mechanism. In the previous study, we had reported a single recessive gene, gra(t), controlling this trait on the long arm of chromosome 2. In this paper, we mapped the gra(t) gene using 1,936 recessive individuals with albino phenotype in the F(2) population derived from the cross between themo-photoperiod-sensitive genic male-sterile (T/PGMS) line Pei'ai 64S and the spontaneous mutant Qiufeng M. Eventually, it was located to a confined region of 42.4 kb flanked by two microsatellite markers RM2-97 and RM13553. Based on the annotation results of RiceGAAS system, 11 open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted in this region. Among them, ORF6 was the most possible gene related to chloroplast development, which encoded the chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor Tu in rice. Therefore, we designated it as the candidate gene of gra(t). Sequence analysis indicated that only one base substitution C to T occurred in the coding region, which caused a missense mutation (Thr to Ile) in gra(t) mutant. These results are very valuable for further study on gra(t) gene.

Heat tolerance and expression of protein synthesis elongation factors, EF-Tu and EF-1α, in spring wheat.

Protein elongation factors, EF-Tu and EF-1α, have been implicated in cell response to heat stress. We investigated the expression (accumulation) of EF-Tu and EF-1α in mature plants of spring wheat cultivars Kukri and Excalibur, and tested the hypothesis that cultivars with contrasting tolerance to heat stress differ in the accumulation of these elongation factors under prolonged exposure to high temperature (16 days at 36/30°C). In addition, we investigated the expression of EF-Tu and EF-1α in young plants experiencing a 24-h heat shock (43°C). Excalibur showed better tolerance to heat stress than Kukri. Heat stress induced accumulation of EF-Tu and EF-1α in mature plants of both cultivars, but to a greater extent in Excalibur. Young plants did not show appreciable accumulation of EF-Tu in response to heat shock. However, these plants showed increased accumulation of EF-1α and the accumulation appeared greater in Excalibur than in Kukri. The results support the hypothesis that EF-Tu plays a role in heat tolerance in spring wheat. The results also suggest that EF-1α may be of importance to wheat response to heat stress.

Impact of Nighttime Temperature on Physiology and Growth of Spring Wheat

Climate models predict greater increases in nighttime temperature in the future. The impacts of high nighttime temperature on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are not well understood. Objectives of this research were to quantify the impact of high nighttime temperatures during reproductive development on phenology, physiological, vegetative, and yield traits of wheat. Two spring wheat cultivars (Pavon‐76 and Seri‐82) were grown at optimum temperatures (day/night, 24/14°C; 16/8 h light/dark photoperiod) from sowing to booting. Thereafter, plants were exposed to four different nighttime temperatures (14, 17, 20, 23°C) until maturity. The daytime temperature was 24°C across all treatments. There were significant influences of high nighttime temperatures on physiological, growth, and yield traits, but no cultivar or cultivar by temperature interactions were observed. High nighttime temperatures (>14°C) decreased photosynthesis after 14 d of stress. Grain yields linearly decreased with increasing nighttime temperatures, leading to lower harvest indices at 20 and 23°C. High nighttime temperature (≥20°C) decreased spikelet fertility, grains per spike, and grain size. Compared to the control (14°C), grain filling duration was decreased by 3 and 7 d at night temperatures of 20 and 23°C, respectively. High nighttime temperature increased the expression of chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor in both cultivars suggesting possible involvement of this protein in plant response to stress.