Normal tRNAs promote ribosomal frameshifting

Abstract

The addition of Ser AGC AGU tRNA to an E. coli cell-free protein synthesizing system which contains the endogenous tRNA levels results in up to 100% of the ribosomes translating the MS2 coat gene shifting into the -1 reading frame. An analogous phenomenon is seen at a much lower level without the tRNA addition, where a shift into the +1 frame can also be detected. Thus translation with the endogenous tRNA levels yields proteins which have the amino terminus of the coat protein but which are substantially larger than the coat protein and comprise about 5% of the coat translation. Since the lysis gene overlaps the 3' end of the coat gene in the +1 frame, we conclude that the reading frame shift into the +1 frame yields a hybrid protein. Also, we present evidence that ribosomes translating the synthetase gene shift into the -1 frame near the distal end of the gene. This frameshifting is promoted by thrACU ACC tRNA. Specific competitor tRNAs for both Thr and Ser tRNA-promoted frameshifting have been characterized. The generality of this new mechanism for producing additional proteins is unclear, but it investigation should increase understanding of the coding mechanism and its origin.