Normal tRNAs promote ribosomal frameshifting

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Cell; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-8674(79)90225-3· OSTI ID:6530590

Atkins, J F ^[1]; Gesteland, R F; Reid, B R; Anderson, C W

---

1. Cold Spring Harbor Lab., NY

The addition of SER/sup AGU//sub AGC/ tRNA to an E. coli cell-free protein synthesizing system which contains the endogenous tRNA levels results in up to 100% of the ribosomes translating the MS2 coat gene shifting into the -1 reading frame. An analogous phenomenon is seen at a much lower level without the tRNA addition, where a shift into the +1 frame can also be detected. Thus translation with the endogenous tRNA levels yields proteins which have the amino terminus of the coat protein but which are substantially larger than the coat protein and comprise about 5% of the coat translation. Since the lysis gene overlaps the 3' end of the coat gene in the +1 frame, it is concluded that the reading frame shift into the +1 frame yields a hybrid protein. Also, evidence is presented that ribosomes translating the synthetase gene shift into the -1 frame near the distal end of the gene. This frameshifting is promoted by thr/sup ACU//sub ACC/ tRNA. Specific competitor tRNAs for both Thr and Ser tRNA-promoted frameshifting have been characterized. The generality of this new mechanism for producing additional proteins is unclear, but its investigation should increase understanding of the coding mechanism and its origin.

• OSTI ID: 6530590
• Journal Information: Cell; (United States), Journal Name: Cell; (United States) Vol. 18; ISSN CELLB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200 -- Biochemistry
550400* -- Genetics
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BIOLOGY
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMISTRY
CODONS
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GENETIC EFFECTS
GENETICS
HYDROXY ACIDS
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANOIDS
PARASITES
PROTEINS
REACTION KINETICS
RIBOSOMES
RNA
SERINE
SYNTHESIS
THREONINE
TRANSCRIPTION
TRANSFER RNA
VIRUSES