Rare codons in E. coli and S. typhimurium signal sequences

Abstract

Codon usage has been examined in the signal sequences of 27 genes encoding proteins which possess leader peptides, and are inner-membrane located or exported. The results have been compared with codon usage in the corresponding coding sequences of most of the mature proteins. A bias is observed in the usage of rare codons for two of the three hydrophobic amino acids for which there are rare codons. Since hydrophobic residues are predominant in leader peptides, we suggest that a resulting concentration of rare codons in the signal sequence may play a role (or have played a role in the evolutionary past) in the secretion process by delaying translation.