Elongation factor P is required to maintain proteome homeostasis at high growth rate

Adaptation to rapidly changing environments is essential for cellular fitness and is a critical component in pathogenesis. Translational control has important roles for fitness in a range of environments and requires multiple factors for efficient responses. One such factor is the translation elongation factor (EF)-P, which alleviates ribosome pausing at polyproline motifs. Our findings show that EF-P-mediated relief of ribosome queuing is integral in environmentally driven changes to translation rates. We observe that ribosome pausing leads to changes in protein yield only under rapid growth conditions, demonstrating that effects resulting from ribosome queuing correlate directly with translational demand. These results provide physiological context to previous studies establishing EF-P as a critical factor in cell growth and virulence.