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. 1991 Aug 25;19(16):4377–4385. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.16.4377

High-level ribosomal frameshifting directs the synthesis of IS150 gene products.

K Vögele 1, E Schwartz 1, C Welz 1, E Schiltz 1, B Rak 1
PMCID: PMC328623  PMID: 1653413

Abstract

IS150 contains two tandem, out-of-phase, overlapping genes, ins150A and ins150B, which are controlled by the same promoter. These genes encode proteins of 19 and 31 kD, respectively. A third protein of 49 kD is a transframe gene product consisting of domains encoded by both genes. Specific -1 ribosomal frameshifting is responsible for the synthesis of the large protein. Expression of ins150B also involves frameshifting. The IS150 frameshifting signals operate with a remarkably high efficiency, causing about one third of the ribosomes to switch frame. All of the signals required for this process are encoded in a 83-bp segment of the element. The heptanucleotide A AAA AAG and a potential stem-loop-forming sequence mark the frameshifting site. Similar sequence elements are found in -1 frameshifting regions of bacterial and retroviral genes. A mutation within the stem-loop sequence reduces the rate of frameshifting by about 80%. Artificial transposons carrying this mutation transpose at a normal frequency, but form cointegrates at a approximately 100-fold reduced rate.

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Selected References

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