Conserved +1 translational frameshifting in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene encoding YPL034W

Cells have developed exquisite mechanisms to ensure accurate translation of mRNA, including preventing a change in reading frame during translation elongation. A minority of chromosomally encoded genes have evolved sequences that subvert standard decoding to program +1 translational frameshifting, either constitutively or in response to external stimuli. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, three chromosomal genes are known to employ programmed +1 translational frameshifting for expression of full-length functional products. Here, we identify a fourth yeast gene, YFS1, encompassing the existing predicted open reading frame YPL034W, with conserved programmed +1 frameshifting. Like the previously known examples, YFS1 appears to exploit peculiarities in tRNA abundance in S. cerevisiae to promote frameshifting.