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. 1993 Oct;135(2):309–320. doi: 10.1093/genetics/135.2.309

A Rare Trna-Arg(ccu) That Regulates Ty1 Element Ribosomal Frameshifting Is Essential for Ty1 Retrotransposition in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

K Kawakami 1, S Pande 1, B Faiola 1, D P Moore 1, J D Boeke 1, P J Farabaugh 1, J N Strathern 1, Y Nakamura 1, D J Garfinkel 1
PMCID: PMC1205637  PMID: 8243996

Abstract

Translation of the yeast retrotransposon Ty1 TYA1(gag)-TYB1(pol) gene occurs by a +1 ribosomal frameshifting event at the sequence CUU AGG C. Because overexpression of a low abundance tRNA-Arg(CCU) encoded by the HSX1 gene resulted in a reduction in Ty1 frameshifting, it was suggested that a translational pause at the AGG-Arg codon is required for optimum frameshifting. The present work shows that the absence of tRNA-Arg(CCU) affects Ty1 transposition, translational frameshifting, and accumulation of mature TYB1 proteins. Transposition of genetically tagged Ty1 elements decreases at least 50-fold and translational frameshifting increases 3-17-fold in cells lacking tRNA-Arg(CCU). Accumulation of Ty1-integrase and Ty1-reverse transcriptase/ribonuclease H is defective in an hsx1 mutant. The defect in Ty1 transposition is complemented by the wild-type HSX1 gene or a mutant tRNA-Arg(UCU) gene containing a C for T substitution in the first position of the anticodon. Overexpression of TYA1 stimulates Ty1 transposition 50-fold above wild-type levels when the level of transposition is compared in isogenic hsx1 and HSX1 strains. Thus, the HSX1 gene determines the ratio of the TYA1 to TYA1-TYB1 precursors required for protein processing or stability, and keeps expression of TYB1 a rate-limiting step in the retrotransposition cycle.

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Selected References

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