scholarly journals Correction of Frameshift Mutations in the atpB Gene by Translational Recoding in Chloroplasts of Oenothera and Tobacco

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Malinova ◽  
Arkadiusz Zupok ◽  
Amid Massouh ◽  
Mark Aurel Schöttler ◽  
Etienne H Meyer ◽  
...  

Abstract Translational recoding, also known as ribosomal frameshifting, is a process that causes ribosome slippage along the messenger RNA, thereby changing the amino acid sequence of the synthesized protein. Whether the chloroplast employs recoding is unknown. I-iota, a plastome mutant of Oenothera (evening primrose), carries a single adenine insertion in an oligoA stretch [11A] of the atpB coding region (encoding a β-subunit of the ATP synthase). The mutation is expected to cause synthesis of a truncated, non-functional protein. We report that a full-length AtpB protein is detectable in I-iota leaves, suggesting operation of a recoding mechanism. To characterize the phenomenon, we generated transplastomic tobacco lines in which the atpB reading frame was altered by insertions or deletions in the oligoA motif. We observed that insertion of two adenines was more efficiently corrected than insertion of a single adenine, or deletion of one or two adenines. We further show that homopolymeric composition of the oligoA stretch is essential for recoding, as an additional replacement of AAA lysine codon by AAG resulted in an albino phenotype. Our work provides evidence for the operation of translational recoding in chloroplasts. Recoding enables correction of frameshift mutations and can restore photoautotrophic growth in the presence of mutation that otherwise would be lethal.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Malinova ◽  
Arkadiusz Zupok ◽  
Amid Massouh ◽  
Mark Aurel Schöttler ◽  
Etienne H. Meyer ◽  
...  

AbstractTranslational recoding, also known as ribosomal frameshifting, is a process that causes ribosome slippage along the messenger RNA, thereby changing the amino acid sequence of the synthesized protein. Whether the chloroplast employs recoding, is unknown. I-iota, a plastome mutant of Oenothera (evening primrose), carries a single adenine insertion in an oligoA stretch of atpB (encoding a β-subunit of the ATP synthase). The mutation is expected to cause synthesis of a truncated, non-functional protein. We report that a full-length AtpB protein is detectable in I-iota leaves, suggesting operation of a recoding mechanism. To characterize the phenomenon, transplastomic tobacco lines were generated, in which the atpB reading frame was altered by insertions or deletions in the oligoA motif. We found that insertion of two adenines was more efficiently compensated than insertion of a single adenine, or deletion of one or two adenines. We further show that homopolymeric composition of the oligoA stretch is essential for recoding. Plants carrying a disrupted oligoA stretch have an albino-phenotype, indicating absence of indel correction. Our work provides evidence for the operation of translational recoding in chloroplasts. Recoding enables correction of frameshift mutations and can restore photoautotrophic growth in mutants that otherwise would be lethal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. eaax6969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhong Choi ◽  
Sinéad O’Loughlin ◽  
John F. Atkins ◽  
Joseph D. Puglisi

Maintenance of translational reading frame ensures the fidelity of information transfer during protein synthesis. Yet, programmed ribosomal frameshifting sequences within the coding region promote a high rate of reading frame change at predetermined sites thus enriching genomic information density. Frameshifting is typically stimulated by the presence of 3′ messenger RNA (mRNA) structures, but how these mRNA structures enhance −1 frameshifting remains debatable. Here, we apply single-molecule and ensemble approaches to formulate a mechanistic model of ribosomal −1 frameshifting. Our model suggests that the ribosome is intrinsically susceptible to frameshift before its translocation and this transient state is prolonged by the presence of a precisely positioned downstream mRNA structure. We challenged this model using temperature variation in vivo, which followed the prediction made based on in vitro results. Our results provide a quantitative framework for analyzing other frameshifting enhancers and a potential approach to control gene expression dynamically using programmed frameshifting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (6) ◽  
pp. 3185-3191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas L. Huseby ◽  
Gerrit Brandis ◽  
Lisa Praski Alzrigat ◽  
Diarmaid Hughes

A fundamental feature of life is that ribosomes read the genetic code in messenger RNA (mRNA) as triplets of nucleotides in a single reading frame. Mutations that shift the reading frame generally cause gene inactivation and in essential genes cause loss of viability. Here we report and characterize a +1-nt frameshift mutation, centrally located in rpoB, an essential gene encoding the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase. Mutant Escherichia coli carrying this mutation are viable and highly resistant to rifampicin. Genetic and proteomic experiments reveal a very high rate (5%) of spontaneous frameshift suppression occurring on a heptanucleotide sequence downstream of the mutation. Production of active protein is stimulated to 61–71% of wild-type level by a feedback mechanism increasing translation initiation. The phenomenon described here could have broad significance for predictions of phenotype from genotype. Several frameshift mutations have been reported in rpoB in rifampicin-resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). These mutations have never been experimentally validated, and no mechanisms of action have been proposed. This work shows that frameshift mutations in rpoB can be a mutational mechanism generating antibiotic resistance. Our analysis further suggests that genetic elements supporting productive frameshifting could rapidly evolve de novo, even in essential genes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 83 (10) ◽  
pp. 3604-3608
Author(s):  
Gisah A. Carvalho ◽  
Roy E. Weiss ◽  
Samuel Refetoff

Fourteen T4-binding globulin (TBG) variants have been identified at the gene level. They are all located in the coding region of the gene and 6 produce complete deficiency of TBG (TBG-CD). We now describe the first mutation in a noncoding region producing TBG-CD. The proband was treated for over 20 yr with L-T4 because of fatigue associated with a low concentration of serum total T4. Fifteen family members were studied showing low total T4 inherited as an X chromosome-linked trait, and affected males had undetectable TBG in serum. Sequencing of the entire coding region and promoter of the TBG gene revealed no abnormality. However, an A to G transition was found in the acceptor splice junction of intron II that produced a new HaeIII restriction site cosegregating with the TBG-CD phenotype. Sequencing exon 1 to exon 3 of TBG complementary DNA reverse transcribed from messenger RNA of skin fibroblasts from an affected male, confirmed a shift in the ag acceptor splice site. This results in the insertion of a G in exon 2 and causes a frameshift and a premature stop at codon 195. This early termination of translation predicts a truncated TBG lacking 201 amino acids.


Parasitology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 139 (8) ◽  
pp. 998-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. CUI ◽  
T. LEI ◽  
D. Y. YANG ◽  
P. HAO ◽  
Q. LIU

SUMMARYImmune mapped protein 1 (IMP1) is a newly discovered protein in Eimeria maxima. It is recognized as a potential vaccine candidate against E. maxima and a highly conserved protein in apicomplexan parasites. Although the Neospora caninum IMP1 (NcIMP1) orthologue of E. maxima IMP1 was predicted in the N. caninum genome, it was still not identified and characterized. In this study, cDNA sequence encoding NcIMP1 was cloned by RT-PCR from RNA isolated from Nc1 tachyzoites. NcIMP1 was encoded by an open reading frame of 1182 bp, which encoded a protein of 393 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 42·9 kDa. Sequence analysis showed that there was neither a signal peptide nor a transmembrane region present in the NcIMP1 amino acid sequence. However, several kinds of functional protein motifs, including an N-myristoylation site and a palmitoylation site were predicted. Recombinant NcIMP1 (rNcIMP1) was expressed in Escherichia coli and then purified rNcIMP1 was used to prepare specific antisera in mice. Mouse polyclonal antibodies raised against the rNcIMP1 recognized an approximate 43 kDa native IMP1 protein. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that NcIMP1 was localized on the membrane of N. caninum tachyzoites. The N-myristoylation site and the palmitoylation site were found to contribute to the localization of NcIMP1. Furthermore, the rNcIMP1-specific antibodies could inhibit cell invasion by N. caninum tachyzoites in vitro. All the results indicate that NcIMP1 is likely to be a membrane protein of N. caninum and may be involved in parasite invasion.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 5034-5042
Author(s):  
C L Wellington ◽  
M E Greenberg ◽  
J G Belasco

The protein-coding region of the c-fos proto-oncogene transcript contains elements that direct the rapid deadenylation and decay of this mRNA in mammalian cells. The function of these coding region instability determinants requires movement of ribosomes across mRNAs containing them. Three types of mechanisms could account for this translational requirement. Two of these possibilities, (i) that rapid mRNA decay might be mediated by the nascent polypeptide chain and (ii) that it might result from an unusual codon usage, have experimental precedent. Here, we present evidence that the destabilizing elements in the c-fos coding region are not recognized in either of these two ways. Instead, the ability of the c-fos coding region to function as a potent mRNA destabilizer when translated in the +1 reading frame indicates that the signals for rapid deadenylation and decay reside in the sequence or structure of the RNA comprising this c-fos domain.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 3439-3447 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Bajwa ◽  
T E Torchia ◽  
J E Hopper

GAL3 gene expression is required for rapid GAL4-mediated galactose induction of the galactose-melibiose regulon genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we show by Northern (RNA) blot analysis that GAL3 gene expression is itself galactose inducible. Like the GAL1, GAL7, GAL10, and MEL1 genes, the GAL3 gene is severely glucose repressed. Like the MEL1 gene, but in contrast to the GAL1, GAL7, and GAL10 genes, GAL3 is expressed at readily detectable basal levels in cells grown in noninducing, nonrepressing media. We determined the sequence of the S. cerevisiae GAL3 gene and its 5'-noncoding region. Within the 5'-noncoding region of the GAL3 gene, we found two sequences similar to the UASGal elements of the other galactose-melibiose regulon genes. Deletion analysis indicated that only the most ATG proximal of these sequences is required for GAL3 expression. The coding region of GAL3 consists of a 1,275-base-pair open reading frame in the direction of transcription. A comparison of the deduced 425-amino-acid sequence with the protein data bank revealed three regions of striking similarity between the GAL3 protein and the GAL1-specified galactokinase of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. One of these regions also showed striking similarity to sequences within the galactokinase protein of Escherichia coli. On the basis of these protein sequence similarities, we propose that the GAL3 protein binds a molecule identical to or structurally related to one of the substrates or products of the galactokinase-catalyzed reaction.


2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (16) ◽  
pp. 2803-2816 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. LOI ◽  
S. A. EMMAL ◽  
Y. PARK ◽  
N. J. TUBLITZ

SUMMARYThe crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) gene was isolated from the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta. The gene has an open reading frame of 125 amino acid residues containing a single, complete copy of CCAP. Analysis of the gene structure revealed three introns interrupting the coding region. A comparison of the M. sexta CCAP gene with the Drosophila melanogaster genome database reveals significant similarities in sequence and gene structure.The spatial and temporal expression patterns of the CCAP gene in the M. sexta central nervous system were determined in all major post-embryonic stages using in situ hybridization techniques. The CCAP gene is expressed in a total of 116 neurons in the post-embryonic M. sextacentral nervous system. Nine pairs of cells are observed in the brain, 4.5 pairs in the subesophageal ganglion, three pairs in each thoracic ganglion(T1-T3), three pairs in the first abdominal ganglion (A1), five pairs each in the second to sixth abdominal ganglia (A2-A6) and 7.5 pairs in the terminal ganglion. The CCAP gene is expressed in every ganglion in each post-embryonic stage, except in the thoracic ganglia of first- and second-instar larvae. The number of cells expressing the CCAP gene varies during post-embryonic life,starting at 52 cells in the first instar and reaching a maximum of 116 shortly after pupation. One set of thoracic neurons expressing CCAP mRNA shows unusual variability in expression levels immediately prior to larval ecdysis. Using previously published CCAP immunocytochemical data, it was determined that 91 of 95 CCAP-immunopositive neurons in the M. sexta central nervous system also express the M. sexta CCAP gene, indicating that there is likely to be only a single CCAP gene in M. sexta.


2001 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAUDIA R. VIANNA ◽  
THILO HAGEN ◽  
CHEN-YU ZHANG ◽  
ERIC BACHMAN ◽  
OLIVIER BOSS ◽  
...  

The cDNA of an uncoupling protein (UCP) homolog has been cloned from the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macroura. The hummingbird uncoupling protein (HmUCP) cDNA was amplified from pectoral muscle (flight muscle) using RT-PCR and primers for conserved domains of various known UCP homologs. The rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method was used to complete the cloning of the 5′ and 3′ ends of the open reading frame. The HmUCP coding region contains 915 nucleotides, and the deduced protein sequence consists of 304 amino acids, being ∼72, 70, and 55% identical to human UCP3, UCP2, and UCP1, respectively. The uncoupling activity of this novel protein was characterized in yeast. In this expression system, the 12CA5-tagged HmUCP fusion protein was detected by Western blot in the enriched mitochondrial fraction. Similarly to rat UCP1, HmUCP decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential as measured in whole yeast by uptake of the fluorescent potential-sensitive dye 3′,3-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide. The HmUCP mRNA is primarily expressed in skeletal muscle, but high levels can also be detected in heart and liver, as assessed by Northern blot analysis. Lowering the room’s temperature to 12–14°C triggered the cycle torpor/rewarming, typical of hummingbirds. Both in the pectoral muscle and heart, HmUCP mRNA levels were 1.5- to 3.4-fold higher during torpor. In conclusion, this is the first report of an UCP homolog in birds. The data indicate that HmUCP has the potential to function as an UCP and could play a thermogenic role during rewarming.


1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 687-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Hall ◽  
Jennifer Baldwin ◽  
Ho Gun Rhie ◽  
Douglas Dennis

The polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene (phaCNc) from Nocardia corallina was identified in a lambda library on a 6-kb BamHI fragment. A 2.8-kb XhoII subfragment was found to contain the ntact PHA synthase. This 2.8-kb fragment was subjected to DNA sequencing and was found to contain the coding region for the PHA synthase and a small downstream open reading frame of unknown function. On the basis of DNA sequence, phaCNc is closest in homology to the PHA synthases (phaCPaI and phaCPaII) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (approximately 41% identity and 55% similarity). The 2.8-kb XhoII fragment containing phaCNc was subcloned into broad host range mobilizable plasmids and transferred into Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes (both containing a plasmid bearing phaA and phaB from Ralstonia eutropha), and PHA-negative strains of R. eutropha and Pseudomonas putida. The recombinant strains were grown on various carbon sources and the resulting polymers were analyzed. In these strains, the PHA synthase from N. corallina was able to mediate the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy-hexanoate) containing high levels of 3-hydroxyhexanoate when grown on hexanoate and larger even-chain fatty acids and poly(3-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyheptanoate) containing high levels of 3-hydroxyheptanoate when grown on heptanoate or larger odd-chain fatty acids. Key words: polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), Nocardia corallina, biodegradable, polyester.


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