Diminished sensitivity of re-initiation of translation to inhibition by cap analogues in reticulocyte lysates

Abstract

In a nuclease-treated reticuloyte lysate reinitiation of protein biosynthesis was less inhibited by 7-methylguanosine 5'-monophosphate (m7GMP), whereas primary-initiation could be totally blocked by cap analogues. We suggest that a cap binding factor binds to mRNA as a first step in initiation of protein synthesis and that this factor remains bound during the subsequent reinitiation cycles. Primarily because of the greater relative importance of the reinitiation process, globin synthesis in the untreated lysate was less inhibited by m7GMP.