title: Non-Shine-Dalgarno initiators of translation selected from combinatorial DNA libraries.
abstract: In a search for non-Shine-Dalgarno (non-SD) translational initiators, two combinatorial expression libraries (denoted R(1) and R(2)) were constructed containing randomized decanucleotide regions placed at either 6 (R(1)) or 11 (R(2)) nucleotides upstream of a modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. To prevent sporadic formation of SD-like sequences the content of G in the randomized region was restricted to 3% only. The two libraries were transformed in Escherichia coli cells and screened for chloramphenicol (Cm) resistance. More than 50 clones capable of tolerating Cm concentrations from 50 micro g/ml to more than 800 micro g/ml were selected. With few exceptions only, the non-SD sequences found in the Cm-resistant clones did not show any significant homology with other known non-SD initiators or enhancers of translation. Statistical (chi(2)) analysis of the distribution of nucleotides in the new non-SD translational initiators showed a different pattern from that of the conventional SD sequences. In few of the clones the yield of CAT exceeded that of the referent (SD-containing) construct. The most productive clones carried the decanucleotides ATTTACCTCC, CCAATCTAC, TTCAATATTT, and TATTCCCCCA, and the corresponding yield of CAT obtained with them was 2.70, 2.06, 2.12 and 1.32 times, respectively, higher than that of the SD-bearing construct.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Regulations, Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Vihren
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kolev
authors.forename: Ivaylo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berzal-Herranz
authors.forename: Ivan G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ivanov
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002702:Chloramphenicol Resistance; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase