Dataset Information

Mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans eIF2beta permit translation initiation from non-AUG start codons.

ABSTRACT: Recognition of the AUG start codon on mRNAs during translation initiation in eukaryotes occurs in a preinitiation complex that includes small ribosomal subunits and multiple translation initiation factors. The complexity of this process and the lack of appropriate tools have prevented its genetic study in multicellular organisms. Here we describe a genetic system in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study how the AUG start codon is selected. We have generated a sensitive reporter assay that allows for the isolation of mutants with reduced fidelity to recognize the AUG start codon. Two mutants were identified to have dominant missense mutations in iftb-1, which encodes the beta-subunit of eIF2 (eIF2beta). Both mutations occur in a conserved region located outside of the C2-C2 zinc finger domain where yeast SUI3 mutations are localized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF2beta. C. elegans iftb-1, as well as mutant eIF2betas carrying the equivalent SUI3 mutations, are able to initiate translation at non-AUG codons that retain two potential base-pairing interactions with the anticodon of the initiator methionyl tRNA. These analyses further support the critical role of eIF2beta in start codon selection, and two functional domains within eIF2beta are likely involved, one defined by our C. elegans mutants and the other by the yeast SUI3 mutants.

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2870950 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans eIF2beta permit translation initiation from non-AUG start codons.

Zhang Yinhua Y Maduzia Lisa L LL

Genetics 20100309 1

Recognition of the AUG start codon on mRNAs during translation initiation in eukaryotes occurs in a preinitiation complex that includes small ribosomal subunits and multiple translation initiation factors. The complexity of this process and the lack of appropriate tools have prevented its genetic study in multicellular organisms. Here we describe a genetic system in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study how the AUG start codon is selected. We have generated a sensitive reporter assay that ...[more]

PMID: 20215469

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Project description:Neurospora crassa cpc-1 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae GCN4 are homologs specifying transcription activators that drive the transcriptional response to amino acid limitation. The cpc-1 mRNA contains two upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in its >700-nucleotide (nt) 5' leader, and its expression is controlled at the level of translation in response to amino acid starvation. We used N. crassa cell extracts and obtained data indicating that cpc-1 uORF1 and uORF2 are functionally analogous to GCN4 uORF1 and uORF4, respectively, in controlling translation. We also found that the 5' region upstream of the main coding sequence of the cpc-1 mRNA extends for more than 700 nucleotides without any in-frame stop codon. For 100 cpc-1 homologs from Pezizomycotina and from selected Basidiomycota, 5' conserved extensions of the CPC1 reading frame are also observed. Multiple non-AUG near-cognate codons (NCCs) in the CPC1 reading frame upstream of uORF2, some deeply conserved, could potentially initiate translation. At least four NCCs initiated translation in vitroIn vivo data were consistent with initiation at NCCs to produce N-terminally extended N. crassa CPC1 isoforms. The pivotal role played by CPC1, combined with its translational regulation by uORFs and NCC utilization, underscores the emerging significance of noncanonical initiation events in controlling gene expression.IMPORTANCE There is a deepening and widening appreciation of the diverse roles of translation in controlling gene expression. A central fungal transcription factor, the best-studied example of which is Saccharomyces cerevisiae GCN4, is crucial for the response to amino acid limitation. Two upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in the GCN4 mRNA are critical for controlling GCN4 synthesis. We observed that two uORFs in the corresponding Neurospora crassa cpc-1 mRNA appear functionally analogous to the GCN4 uORFs. We also discovered that, surprisingly, unlike GCN4, the CPC1 coding sequence extends far upstream from the presumed AUG start codon with no other in-frame AUG codons. Similar extensions were seen in homologs from many filamentous fungi. We observed that multiple non-AUG near-cognate codons (NCCs) in this extended reading frame, some conserved, initiated translation to produce longer forms of CPC1, underscoring the significance of noncanonical initiation in controlling gene expression.

Project description:Recent studies have shown that haloarchaea employ leaderless and Shine-Dalgarno (SD)-less mechanisms for translation initiation of leaderless transcripts with a 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of <10 nucleotides (nt) and leadered transcripts with a 5' UTR of ?10 nt, respectively. However, whether the two mechanisms can operate on the same naturally occurring haloarchaeal transcript carrying multiple potential start codons is unknown. In this study, the transcript of the sptA gene (encoding an extracellular serine protease of Natrinema sp. strain J7-2) was experimentally determined and found to contain two potential in-frame AUG codons (AUG(1) and AUG(2)) located 5 and 29 nt, respectively, downstream of the transcription start site. Mutational analysis revealed that both AUGs can function as the translation start codon for production of active SptA, although AUG(1) is more efficient than AUG(2) for translation initiation. Insertion of a stable stem-loop structure between the two AUGs completely abolished initiation at AUG(1) but did not affect initiation at AUG(2), indicating that AUG(2)-initiated translation does not involve ribosome scanning from the 5' end of the transcript. Furthermore, the efficiency of AUG(2)-initiated translation was not influenced by an upstream SD-like sequence. In addition, both AUG(1) and AUG(2) contribute to transcript stability, probably by recruiting ribosomes to protect the transcript against degradation. These data suggest that depending on which of two in-frame start codons is used, the sptA transcript can act as either a leaderless or a leadered transcript for SptA production in haloarchaea.In eukaryotes and bacteria, alternative translation start sites contribute to proteome complexity and can be used as a functional mechanism to increase translation efficiency. However, little is known about alternative translation initiation in archaea. Our results demonstrate that leaderless and SD-less mechanisms can be used for translation initiation of the sptA transcript from two in-frame start codons, raising the possibility that in haloarchaea, alternative translation initiation on one transcript functions to increase translation efficiency and/or contribute to proteome complexity.

Dataset Information

Mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans eIF2beta permit translation initiation from non-AUG start codons.

Publications

Mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans eIF2beta permit translation initiation from non-AUG start codons.

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