Translational readthrough of a termination codon in the yeast mitochondrial mRNA VAR1 as a result of mutation in the release factor mRF1
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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Mitochondrial Transformation in Baker's Yeast to Study Translation and Respiratory Complex Assembly
Published on: June 7, 2024
Maurice L Claisse1, Magdalena Boguta, Włodzimierz Zagórski
1Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Laboratoire Propre 2167 du CNRS Associé à l'Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, Cedex, France.
Abstract:
Yeast mitochondrial DNA codes for eight major polypeptides. Translation of he mitochondrially encoded polypeptides in strains with mutated mitochondrial release factor, mRF1, was found to result in the synthesis of a novel protein, V2. Different mrf1 alleles were associated with different efficiency of V2p synthesis. Translation of V2p was enhanced by paromomycin. Comparative analysis of peptides resulting from protease digestion indicated that V2p is a derivative of Var1p. According to our hypothesis, V2p represents a readthrough product of the natural stop codon in VAR1 mRNA.
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