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Leader sequence of a plant ribosomal protein gene with complementarity to the 18S rRNA triggers in vitro cap‐independent translation
Author(s) -
Vanderhaeghen Rudy,
De Clercq Rebecca,
Karimi Mansour,
Van Montagu Marc,
Hilson Pierre,
Van Lijsebettens Mieke
Publication year - 2006
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/j.febslet.2006.04.012
Subject(s) - ribosomal rna , biology , 18s ribosomal rna , gene , ribosomal protein , microbiology and biotechnology , 23s ribosomal rna , ribosome , polysome , untranslated region , genetics , internal ribosome entry site , messenger rna , rna
Cap‐independent translation (CIT) occurs at the leader sequences of uncapped plant viral RNAs, but also at a number of normally capped cellular mRNAs and has been correlated with sequence complementarity to 18S rRNA. The ribosomal protein S18 (RPS18) is a component of the small ribosomal subunit and is encoded by three gene copies (A, B, and C) in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome. The RPS18C mRNA was most abundant and contained a short 5′ untranslated region of 84 bp that is complementary to a novel putative interaction site at the 3′ end of the 18S rRNA. The RPS18C leader mediated CIT as demonstrated by dicistronic constructs consisting of luciferase and chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter genes in an in vitro wheat germ extract system. CIT was rapidly inhibited upon addition of an oligonucleotide that competed for the 18S rRNA site complementary to the RPS18C leader and interfered with polysome assembly at the transcript.