HIV expression strategies: ribosomal frameshifting is directed by a short sequence in both mammalian and yeast systems.
The pol gene of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) is expressed as a gag:pol fusion, arising from a ribosomal frameshift that brings the overlapping, out-of-phase gag and pol genes into translational phase. In this study, we show that HIV frameshifting is mediated by a very short sequence in the viral RNA. We demonstrate the importance of a homopolymeric run within this sequence and conclude that HIV frameshifting is not dependent on stem-loop structures downstream from the frameshift site. Our analysis also indicates that the sequence requirements are identical in mammalian and yeast systems.
Wilson
W
W
Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, England.
Braddock
M
M
Adams
S E
SE
Rathjen
P D
PD
Kingsman
S M
SM
Kingsman
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008322:Mammals; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010957:Plasmids; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012270:Ribosomes; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics
D012367:RNA, Viral; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins