Translational control by internal ribosome entry site in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To confirm the active involvement of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation in living eukaryotes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and HAP4 IRES were used for in vitro and in vivo experiments. Since HAP4 protein might be required for activating mRNAs transcription in yeast cells when they are released from catabolite repression, the translational efficiency of HAP4 mRNA is presumed to increase under such a condition. The in vitro experiment showed clearly that the translational mechanism was shifted from the cap-dependent to the completely IRES-dependent translation when the yeast cells were derepressed from catabolite repression. From in vivo experiment, it was confirmed that the IRES-dependent translational efficiency was in a low level at the beginning of the stationary growth phase, and was enhanced at the glucose-exhausted phase. These results indicate that yeast cells on the catabolite derepressed condition could get a large amount of HAP4 protein for the completely IRES-dependent translation, while the IRES-dependent translational efficiency is increased. It has been proven that IRES functions directing the initiation of translation in living yeast cells.