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Recoding: dynamic reprogramming of translation
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA.
Abstract:
A minority of genes in probably all organisms rely on "recoding" for translation of their mRNAs. In these cases, the rules for decoding are temporarily altered through the action of specific signals built into the mRNA sequences. Three classes are described. 1. Frameshifting at a particular site allows expression of a protein from an mRNA with overlapping open reading frames, often giving two protein products from one mRNA. 2. The meanings of code words are altered: specific stop codons can be redirected to encode selenocysteine, tryptophan, or glutamine. 3. Ribosomes can translate over coding gaps in mRNA. These novel mechanisms expand the repertoire of the genetic code and are at the heart of several regulatory schemes.
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Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
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