Open AccessSecondary structure and expression in vivo and in vitro of messenger RNAs into which upstream AUG codons have been inserted
Author(s) -
Duijn Luuk P.,
HOLSAPPEL Siger,
KASPERAITIS Marcellé,
BUNSCHOTEN Hans,
KONINGS Danielle,
VOORMA Harry O.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1988.tb13855.x
Subject(s) - start codon , messenger rna , translation (biology) , biology , sequence (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene
We wanted to discover whether the conformation of the mRNA leader sequence is involved in translational fidelity. For this purpose we constructed several mutants of Semliki Forest virus 26s mRNA and inserted AUG codons into the leader sequence. We then analyzed the results of in vitro and in vivo translation of these mRNAs, probed enzymatically the secondary structure and performed minimal energy folding of the transcripts. Our results indicate that the position of a hairpin in the leader sequence determines at which AUG codon downstream from that hairpin translation is initiated.