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Two distinct polypeptides may be translated from a single spliced mRNA of the X genes of human T‐cell leukemia and bovine leukemia viruses
Author(s) -
Sagata Noriyuki,
Yasunaga Teruo,
Ikawa Yoji
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80038-7
Subject(s) - open reading frame , biology , gene , messenger rna , leukemia , translation (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , virology , peptide sequence
Human T‐cell leukemia and bovine leukemia viruses have a potential transforming gene, termed X. In addition to the major open reading frame known to encode a functional protein, the X gene harbors another short open reading frame which overlaps this major one. Both of these open reading frames are found on a single spliced X mRNA in a potentially functional form. Circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that they are both translated from the single X mRNA molecule, showing striking similarity to the translation mechanism of an adenovirus Elb gene mRNA. We note that the short open reading frame has the capability to encode a putative nuclear protein with structural features similar to those of an AIDS virus trans ‐acting protein.