title: The function of a ribosomal frameshifting signal from human immunodeficiency virus-1 in Escherichia coli.
abstract: A 15-17 nucleotide sequence from the gag-pol ribosome frameshift site of HIV-1 directs analogous ribosomal frameshifting in Escherichia coli. Limitation for leucine, which is encoded precisely at the frameshift site, dramatically increased the frequency of leftward frameshifting. Limitation for phenylalanine or arginine, which are encoded just before and just after the frameshift, did not significantly affect frameshifting. Protein sequence analysis demonstrated the occurrence of two closely related frameshift mechanisms. In the first, ribosomes appear to bind leucyl-tRNA at the frameshift site and then slip leftward. This is the 'simultaneous slippage' mechanism. In the second, ribosomes appear to slip before binding aminoacyl-tRNA, and then bind phenylalanyl-tRNA, which is encoded in the left-shifted reading frame. This mechanism is identical to the 'overlapping reading' we have demonstrated at other bacterial frameshift sites. The HIV-1 sequence is prone to frame-shifting by both mechanisms in E. coli.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Genetics, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yelverton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lindsley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gallant
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015750:Genes, gag; D015751:Genes, pol; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012346:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl / Q000378:metabolism*; D012356:RNA, Transfer, Leu / Q000378:metabolism; D012360:RNA, Transfer, Phe / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012346:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl; D012356:RNA, Transfer, Leu; D012360:RNA, Transfer, Phe; D001616:beta-Galactosidase