Open AccessRibosomes containing the C1054-deletion mutation inE.coli16S rRNA act as suppressors at all three nonsense codons
Author(s) -
Catherine Prescott,
Ludwig Krabben,
Knud H. Nierhaus
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
nucleic acids research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.008
H-Index - 537
eISSN - 1362-4954
pISSN - 0305-1048
DOI - 10.1093/nar/19.19.5281
Subject(s) - biology , nonsense mutation , ribosome , genetics , stop codon , base pair , ribosomal rna , translation (biology) , nonsense , mutation , transfer rna , shine dalgarno sequence , microbiology and biotechnology , messenger rna , gene , rna , missense mutation
It was established some time ago that the deletion of base C1054 in E. coli 16S rRNA specifically affects UGA-dependent termination of translation. Based on this observation, a model for the termination event was proposed in which the UGA nonsense codon on the mRNA base-pairs with a complementary motif in 'helix 34' of the 16S rRNA, thus potentially providing a recognition signal for the binding of the release factor. This model has been re-examined here and evidence is presented which demonstrates that ribosomes containing the C1054 delta mutation enhance the activity of suppressors of both UAG and UAA termination codons introduced into the host. The results do not support the nonsense codon-16S rRNA base pairing model, and rather imply a more general involvement of 'helix 34' in the translation termination reactions.