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Preparation of a cell-free translation system from PC12 cell.

The postmitochondrial fraction (S10) contains the cellular components essential for translation, and a high-salt wash (HSW) of the ribosomes is enriched in eukaryotic initiation factors. This report describes the preparation of a cell-free translation system utilizing an S10 extract from PC12 cells. The products synthesized from either firefly luciferase mRNA or PC12 cell poly(A) RNAs in the PC12-S10 extract were increased by the addition of the HSW from PC12 cells. Increases in the translation of luciferase mRNA by the addition of PC12-HSW were dose-dependent and also dependent on the time of incubation. The translation of human epidermal growth factor receptor (hEGFR) mRNA could also be detected in the PC12-S10 extract translation system by immuno-precipitation. N-linked glycosylation of the translation products also was observed. The efficiency of translation was altered by the addition of Mg2- or K+, and optimization of the concentrations of these ions was necessary for each mRNA. The translation system made from PC12 cells, then, is capable of the synthesis of proteins of relatively high molecular weight and should be useful for analyzing mechanisms of translational control during proliferation and differentiation of cells from a neuronal lineage.

Animals↗

Responses of neurons in the medial column of the inferior olive in pigeons to translational and rotational optic flowfields.

The responses of neurons in the medial column of the inferior olive to translational and rotational optic flow were recorded from anaesthetized pigeons. Panoramic translational or rotational flowfields were produced by mechanical devices that projected optic flow patterns onto the walls, ceiling and floor of the room. The axis of rotation/translation could be positioned to any orientation in three-dimensional space such that axis tuning could be determined. Each neuron was assigned a vector representing the axis about/along which the animal would rotate/translate to produce the flowfield that elicited maximal modulation. Both translation-sensitive and rotation-sensitive neurons were found. For neurons responsive to translational optic flow, the preferred axis is described with reference to a standard right-handed coordinate system, where +x, +y and +z represent rightward, upward and forward translation of the animal, respectively (assuming that all recordings were from the right side of the brain). t(+y) neurons were maximally excited in response to a translational optic flowfield that results from self-translation upward along the vertical (y) axis. t(-y) neurons also responded best to translational optic flow along the vertical axis but showed the opposite direction preference. The two remaining groups, t(-x+z) and t(-x-z) neurons, responded best to translational optic flow along horizontal axes that were oriented 45 degrees to the midline. There were two types of neurons responsive to rotational optic flow: rVA neurons preferred rotation about the vertical axis, and rH135c neurons preferred rotation about a horizontal axis at 135 degrees contralateral azimuth. The locations of marking lesions indicated a clear topographical organization of the six response types. In summary, our results reinforce that the olivo-cerebellar system dedicated to the analysis of optic flow is organized according to a reference frame consisting of three approximately orthogonal axes: the vertical axis, and two horizontal axes oriented 45 degrees to either side the midline. Previous research has shown that the eye muscles, vestibular semicircular canals and postural control system all share a similar spatial frame of reference.

Animals↗

Identification of a role for actin in translational fidelity in yeast.

Numerous studies have suggested a role for actin in translation, but the molecular details of this role are unknown. To elucidate the function(s) of actin in translation, we have studied 25 isogenic, conditional yeast actin mutants. Strikingly, analysis of these mutants indicates that none of those tested have conditional growth defects caused by reduced rates of protein synthesis; and analysis of latrunculin A-treated wild-type cells indicates that even complete disruption of the actin cytoskeleton has no significant effect on the rate of translation. However, analysis of the effect of the 25 actin mutations on fidelity and sensitivity to translation inhibitors identified two mutations ( act1-2 and act1-122) that cause a significant reduction in the fidelity of translation, as assayed by nonsense suppression, and several mutants that are sensitive to paromomycin, which affects translational fidelity. Translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) also has a role in fidelity, and in the presence of excess eEF1A four of the mutants ( act1-2, act1-20, act1-120, and act1-125) are even more sensitive to paromomycin, while one mutant ( act1-122) becomes less sensitive. Together, these findings suggest that actin may not be important for the rate of translation, but may have a critical role in ensuring translational fidelity.

Actins↗

Roles of the polypyrimidine tract and 3' noncoding region of hepatitis C virus RNA in the internal ribosome entry site-mediated translation.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome contains a 3'noncoding region (3'NCR) consisting of a variable region, a polypyrimidine tract (polyU/UC) and the X region. To examine the roles of 3'NCR and polyU/UC tract in the internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation process, a variety of 3'NCRs containing different lengths of polyU/UC tract were obtained from HCV infected patients and cloned respectively to the downstream of the firefly luciferase coding gene linked to HCV 5'NCR and 30 nucleotides of core gene (containing IRES element). The results of in vitro translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) and cell transfection assay in mammalian cells showed that the IRES-mediated translation efficiency could be enhanced by the full-length of 3'NCR of HCV RNA. However, contradictory results were observed when the role of polyU/UC tract in the IRES-mediated translation was studied. While the IRES-mediated translation efficiency was inhibited by the presence of polyU/UC tract in in vitro translation experiments, transfection of these expression cassettes into hepatic cell line showed that polyU/UC tract enhanced IRES-mediated translation efficiency in vivo. Cellular-fraction complement experiments showed that cellular factors were required for the enhancement by the polyU/UC tract. Further antibody blocking assay and UV cross-linking assay suggested the correlation of IRES-mediated translation with host factors, including the La protein. The data above also indicated that the modulations of the IRES-mediated translation by the HCV 3'NCR and the polyU/UC tract were in a length-independent manner.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Control of protein synthesis by hemin. An association between the formation of the hemin-controlled translational repressor and the phosphorylation of a 100 000 molecular weight protein.

The control of protein synthesis by hemin in rabbit reticulocytes is mediated by the formation of a high molecular weight protein inhibitor of polypeptide chain initiation, termed the hemin-controlled translational repressor, from a presynthesized prorepressor. The prorepressor, purified approx. 600-fold, was used to study the mechanism of hemin-controlled translational repressor formation. When the prorepressor is converted to the hemin-controlled translational repressor, either by prolonged warming in the absence of hemin or by incubation with N-ethylmaleimide for 5 min, and then incubated briefly with [gamma-32P]-ATP and Mg2+, a protein that migrates as a 100 000 molecular weight component on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels becomes phosphorylated. The extent of phosphorylation of this component is directly proportional to the amount of prorepressor converted to the hemin-controlled translational repressor. In addition, the 100 000 molecular weight protein is not labeled when phosphorylation is attempted with the prorepressor or prorepressor warmed in the presence of hemin, indicating that the protein kinase responsible is probably the hemin-controlled translational repressor. Since the 100 000 molecular protein copurifies with the prorepressor and since the phosphorylation reaction is very rapid (50% complete within 30 s at 34 degrees C), relatively insensitive to dilution, and behaves like an intramolecular reaction, the data suggest that the hemin-controlled translational repressor, once activated, may autophosphorylate a 100 000 molecular weight subunit of itself. Approx. 5 mol phosphate are incorporated per mol of 100 000 molecular weight protein, when the prorepressor is completely converted to the hemin-controlled translational repressor by N-ethylmaleimide. Neither the rate of conversion of prorepressor to the hemin-controlled translational repressor nor the subsequent phosphorylation of the 100 000 molecular weight protein is enhanced by cyclic AMP or reduced by incubation with 3':5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, indicating that cyclic AMP plays no role in hemin-controlled translational repressor formation.

Animals↗

Translation of mouse testis poly(A)+ mRNAs for testis-specific protein, protamine 1, and the precursor for protamine 2.

Since previous studies have suggested that the mammalian protamine mRNAs are translated poorly in cell-free systems, we directly measured the efficiency of translation of mouse protamine 1 mRNA. We found that mouse testis poly(A)+ mRNA stimulates the synthesis in the wheat germ and reticulocyte cell-free systems of three prominant translation products which can be resolved by electrophoresis through acid urea polyacrylamide gels containing 8 M urea. These translation products have been identified as testis-specific protein, protamine 1, and the precursor to protamine 2 by several criteria, including labeling with amino acids, [35S]cysteine, and [3H]leucine, which are known to be specific to some of these proteins from the nucleotide sequences of recombinant DNAs. Surprisingly, the mobility of the testis-specific protein translation product is slightly reduced and the mobility of both protamine translation products is drastically reduced unless the extracts of cell-free translations are coelectrophoresed with the appropriate carrier. The fraction of [35S]cysteine- labeled protamine 1 translation product was compared with the fraction of testis poly(A)+ mRNA as protamine 1 mRNA which we measured in dot blots with the use of an SP6 RNA polymerase transcript for protamine 1. The results demonstrate that protamine 1 mRNA is translated only slightly less efficiently than the average testis poly(A)+ mRNA.

Animals↗

Interdependence of translation, transcription and mRNA degradation in the lacZ gene.

We have constructed a collection of Escherichia coli strains which differ by point mutations in the ribosome binding site (RBS) that drives the translation of the lacZ gene. These mutations affect the Shine-Dalgarno sequence or the initiation codon, or create secondary structures that sequester these elements, and result in a 200-fold variation in beta-galactosidase expression. Surprisingly, these variations of expression are paralleled by nearly equivalent changes in the lacZ mRNA level. The ratio of the beta-galactosidase expression to the mRNA level reflects the average spacing between translating ribosomes: hence, paradoxically, mutations that affect translation initiation do not correspondingly change this spacing. Further analysis of the mRNA level variations shows that they originate from two independent mechanisms. When beta-galactosidase expression exceeds a threshold corresponding roughly to one translation event per transcript, the variations in the efficiency of translation initiation affect largely the chemical and functional lifetimes of the mRNA. We further show that the rate-limiting step in the chemical decay process is an RNase E-dependent cleavage, which is outcompeted by translation initiation. Below this expression threshold, the mRNA lifetime levels out and strain-to-strain variations in mRNA level arise solely from polarity effects. We suggest that, in this activity range, most mRNA molecules that escape polarity are crossed by a single ribosome, and hence are identical from the viewpoint of degradation. Altogether, the tight couplings between translation initiation on one hand, polarity and/or mRNA degradation on the other, result in translation initiation events being closely spaced in time even from inefficient RBS, at the expense of the mRNA level. Finally, we evocate the possible beneficial consequences of a coupling between translation, transcription and mRNA degradation, for the management of cellular resources.

Base Sequence↗

Poliovirus translation initiation: differential effects of directed and selected mutations in the 5' noncoding region of viral RNAs.

We have analyzed the translational defects of a number of mutations in the 5' noncoding region of poliovirus type 1 RNA. These mutations fall into three categories: (1) two mutations which resulted in temperature sensitive (ts) viruses, (2) the second-site mutations responsible for the reversion of the two ts viruses, and (3) mutations which were lethal to virus production. RNAs containing either of the ts mutations translated in vitro at levels significantly lower than wild-type levels. RNAs containing the respective second-site reversions had corrected these translational defects to levels corresponding to their viral growth potentials. Unlike in vitro translation of wild-type poliovirus RNA, translation of the RNAs which gave rise to ts mutant viruses was not stimulated by the addition of an S10 fraction from an uninfected HeLa cell extract to a rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL). In vitro translation of the mutant RNAs (corresponding to the ts viruses) in a RRL was stimulated by factors present in a ribosomal salt wash (RSW) from a HeLa extract, although the levels of stimulation were only half those seen for wild-type. These results suggest that the stimulatory factors present in the RSW have a decreased affinity for the mutant RNA templates but can, to some extent interact, with such RNAs if provided in high enough concentration. The in vitro translation of RNAs containing either of the lethal mutations was not stimulated by factors present in the S10 or the RSW. Taken together, our data suggest a correlation between the ability of a genetically altered RNA to respond to translation stimulatory factors in vitro and the ability of that mutation to be recovered in infectious virus. In addition, we have identified the in vivo-selected reversion of translational defects for two different ts viruses.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗

Translational control of protein synthesis in response to heat shock in D. melanogaster cells.

In response to elevated temperature, Drosophila cells synthesize a small set of proteins known as the heat-shock proteins, while synthesis of most other proteins ceases. In vitro translation has been used to demonstrate that the messenger RNAs encoding the normal (25 degrees) spectrum of proteins are not broken down or irreversibly inactivated in response to the temperature change. During the heat shock only the heat-shock mRNAs plus a small number of preexisting mRNAs are translated, while most other messages are stored and can be reactivated upon return of the cells to their normal temperature. After recovery from heat shock, cells translate both the normal mRNA and the remaining heat-shock mRNA. The translational control operating in intact cells has been reproduced in cell-free translation systems directed by purified mRNA from normal and heat-shocked cells. Lysates prepared from heat-shocked Drosophila cells preferentially translated the heat-shock messages, while the lysate made from normally growing Drosophila cells indiscriminately translated both normal and heat-shock messages. Therefore there must be stable alterations in the translational components of heat-shocked cells which are capable of causing selective translation of the heat-shock messages. In addition there must be information encoded in the heat-shock messages that allows their selection.

Animals↗

The tobacco etch viral 5' leader and poly(A) tail are functionally synergistic regulators of translation.

The 5' cap (m7GpppN) and the poly(A) tail of eukaryotic mRNAs work in concert to establish an efficient level of translation in vivo. Nevertheless, several mRNAs naturally lack a cap or a poly(A) tail. Determining how these messages effectively compete for the translational machinery not only reveals alternative mechanisms for translational competence, but can also underscore similarities between alternative mechanisms and the standard cap/poly(A) tail interaction. The genomic RNA of tobacco etch virus (TEV), a potyvirus, is a polyadenylated mRNA that naturally lacks a cap (m7GpppN) at the 5'-terminus and yet is a highly competitive mRNA during translation. The 144-nt 5'-leader is largely responsible for directing efficient translation and can greatly increase the translational competence of reporter mRNAs. We have examined the synergy between the TEV 5'-leader and the poly(A) tail in transfected plant and animal cells. The TEV 5'-leader functioned optimally as a regulator of reporter mRNA translation only when a poly(A) tail was present. The effect of the TEV 5'-leader on the translation of capped transcripts was significantly less than that for uncapped mRNAs, suggesting that the TEV 5'-leader and the cap may promote similar steps in translation.

Animals↗

Radiographic pseudoscoliosis in healthy male subjects following voluntary lateral translation (side glide) of the thoracic spine.

OBJECTIVE: To determine projected Cobb angles associated with trunk list (side shift) posture, hypothesizing that the side shift "scoliotic" curvature would be similar to true scoliotic curvature in the early stages. DESIGN: Anteroposterior (AP) radiographs of volunteers in neutral, in left, and right lateral translations of the thoracic cage (trunk list) were digitized. SETTING: Computer laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen healthy male volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cobb and Risser-Ferguson angles determined from digitizing vertebral body corners from T12 to L5 on 51 AP lumbar radiographs. RESULTS: Using the horizontal displacement of T12 from S1, subjects could translate an average of 54.0 mm to the left and 52.5 mm to the right. The average digitized Cobb T12-L5 angle produced for the 30 translated postures was 16 degrees. Angles ranged from 2.6 degrees to 27.0 degrees. Risser-Ferguson angles averaged 10 degrees between T12 and L5. Statistical correlations were found between Cobb L1-5 and translation to the left (P=.015), Cobb T12-L5 and translation to the right (P=.024), Risser-Ferguson angle and translation to the left (P=.021), and the lumbosacral angle to the right and trunk translation to the right (P=.027). CONCLUSIONS: During lateral translation of the thorax (trunk list), coupled lumbar lateral flexion resulted in the appearance of a pseudoscoliosis on AP radiographs. For this trunk list posture, Cobb angles are considerable (16 degrees ) and increase as the magnitude of trunk translation increases. Differentiating true structural scoliosis from this pseudoscoliosis would be clinically important. The small coupled axial rotation in trunk list is in contrast to the considerable degree of axial rotation observed in structural idiopathic scoliosis.

Adult↗

Inferring rules of Escherichia coli translational efficiency using an artificial neural network.

Although the machinery for translation initiation in Escherichia coli is very complicated, the translational efficiency has been reported to be predictable from upstream oligonucleotide sequences. Conventional models have difficulties in their generalization ability and prediction nonlinearity and in their ability to deal with a variety of input attributions. To address these issues, we employed structural learning by artificial neural networks to infer general rules for translational efficiency. The correlation between translational activities measured by biological experiments and those predicted by our method in the test data was significant (r=0.78), and our method uncovered underlying rules of translational activities and sequence patterns from the obtained skeleton structure. The significant rules for predicting translational efficiency were (1) G- and A-rich oligonucleotide sequences, resembling the Shine-Dalgarno sequence, at positions -10 to -7; (2) first base A in the initiation codon; (3) transport/binding or amino acid metabolism gene function; (4) high binding energy between mRNA and 16S rRNA at positions -15 to -5. An additional inferred novel rule was that C at position -1 increases translational efficiency. When our model was applied to the entire genomic sequence of E. coli, translational activities of genes for metabolism and translational were significantly high.

Base Sequence↗

Regulation of translation of the head protein of T4 bacteriophage by specific binding of EF-Tu to a leader sequence.

Recent evidence indicates that translation elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) has a role in the cell in addition to its well established role in translation. The translation factor binds to a specific region called the Gol region close to the N terminus of the T4 bacteriophage major head protein as the head protein emerges from the ribosome. This binding was discovered because EF-Tu bound to Gol peptide is the specific substrate of the Lit protease that cleaves the EF-Tu between amino acid residues Gly59 and lle60, blocking phage development. These experiments raised the question of why the Gol region of the incipient head protein binds to EF-Tu, as binding to incipient proteins is not expected from the canonical role of EF-Tu. Here, we use gol-lacZ translational fusions to show that cleavage of EF-Tu in the complex with Gol peptide can block translation of a lacZ reporter gene fused translationally downstream of the Gol peptide that activated the cleavage. We propose a model to explain how binding of EF-Tu to the emerging Gol peptide could cause translation to pause temporarily and allow time for the leader polypeptide to bind to the GroEL chaperonin before translation continues, allowing cotranslation of the head protein with its insertion into the GroEL chaperonin chamber, and preventing premature synthesis and precipitation of the head protein. Cleavage of EF-Tu in the complex would block translation of the head protein and therefore development of the infecting phage. Experiments are presented that confirm two predictions of this model. Considering the evolutionary conservation of the components of this system, this novel regulatory mechanism could be used in other situations, both in bacteria and eukaryotes, where proteins are cotranslated with their insertion into cellular structures.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The effect of radiofrequency thermal capsulorrhaphy on glenohumeral translation, rotation, and volume.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of radiofrequency (RF) thermal capsulorrhaphy on the kinematic properties of the glenohumeral joint as determined by changes in resistance to multidirectional translational forces, alteration in the range of internal and external rotation, and changes in glenohumeral joint volume. Nonablative RF thermal energy was used to contract the glenohumeral joint capsule in 6 cadaveric shoulders. Measurements of translation were made after application of a 30-N load in anterior, posterior, and inferior directions. The maximum arc of internal and external rotation after application of a 1-N-m moment was also determined for vented specimens before and after thermal capsulorrhaphy. The percent reduction in glenohumeral capsular volume was measured by use of a saline solution injection-aspiration technique. Capsular shrinkage resulted in reductions in anterior, posterior, and inferior translation. The largest percent reductions in anterior translation were seen in external rotation at 45 degrees (48%, P <.05) and 90 degrees (41%, P <.05) abduction. For inferior translation, the largest percent reductions were seen in internal rotation at 45 degrees (40%, P <.05) and 90 degrees (45%, P <.05) abduction. Reductions in posterior translation were noted in internal rotation at 45 degrees (27%, P <.05) and 90 degrees (26%, P <.05) abduction. Other changes in translation were observed but were not statistically significant. The maximum arc of humeral rotation was reduced by a mean of 14 degrees at 45 degrees abduction and 9 degrees at 90 degrees abduction. The mean percent reduction in capsular volume for all shoulders was 37% (range, 8%-50%). This could not be correlated with percent reductions in translation and rotation. This study demonstrated the significant effect of RF thermal capsulorrhaphy in reducing glenohumeral multidirectional translation and volume with only a small loss of rotation in cadaveric shoulders.

Aged↗

Continuous heat shock enhances translational initiation directed by internal ribosomal entry site.

Many cellular mRNAs contain internal ribosomal entry sites (IRES) that become functional under conditions of cellular stress, when the rate of protein synthesis for most cellular mRNA is reduced. Internal ribosomal entry increases in response to hypoxia, cell differentiation, apoptosis, gamma irradiation, and heat shock. Heat shock is the principal cellular stress in which general cap-dependent translation is inhibited. On the other hand, heat shock induces the preferential translation of a small class of mRNA, called heat shock protein (HSP) mRNAs, which probably occurs because little or no eIF4F activity is required for their translation. In this study, we found that continuous heat stress enhances expression of the heat shock protein BiP at the level of translation. Interestingly, heat stress also enhanced the viral IRES-dependent translation of encephalomyocarditis virus and hepatitis C virus but not poliovirus. Although several BiP inducers increased BiP protein expression, BiP IRES-dependent translation was enhanced only during heat shock, suggesting that heat shock is a specific inducer for BiP IRES-dependent translation. Taken together, these results indicate that the mechanism of IRES-dependent translation can be used during heat shock and suggest that this translational mechanism may be critical to the survival and proliferation of cells under stress.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Sequence-specific adenylations and deadenylations accompany changes in the translation of maternal messenger RNA after fertilization of Spisula oocytes.

A dramatic change in the pattern of protein synthesis occurs within ten minutes after fertilization of Spisula oocytes. This change is regulated entirely at the translational level. We have used DNA clones complementary to five translationally regulated messenger RNAs to follow shifts in mRNA utilization at fertilization and to characterize alterations in mRNA structure that accompany switches in translational activity in vivo. Four of the mRNAs studied are translationally inactive in the oocyte. After fertilization two of these mRNAs are completely recruited onto polysomes, and two are partially recruited. All four of these mRNAs have very short poly(A) tracts in the oocyte; after fertilization the poly(A) tails lengthen considerably. In contrast, a fifth mRNA, that encoding alpha-tubulin mRNA, is translated very efficiently in the oocyte and is rapidly lost from polysomes after fertilization. Essentially all alpha-tubulin mRNA in the oocyte is poly(A)+ and a large portion of this mRNA undergoes complete deadenylation after fertilization. These results reveal a striking relationship between changes in adenylation and translational activity in vivo. This correlation is not perfect, however. Evidence for and against a direct role for polyadenylation in regulating these translational changes is discussed. Changes in poly(A) tails are the only alterations in mRNA sizes that we have been able to detect. This indicates that, at least for the mRNAs studied here, translational activation is not due to extensive processing of larger translationally incompetent precursors. We have also isolated several complementary DNA clones to RNAs encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Surprisingly, the poly(A) tracts of at least two of the mitochondrial RNAs also lengthen in response to fertilization.

Animals↗

Viral strategies of translation initiation: ribosomal shunt and reinitiation.

Due to the compactness of their genomes, viruses are well suited to the study of basic expression mechanisms, including details of transcription, RNA processing, transport, and translation. In fact, most basic principles of these processes were first described in viral systems. Furthermore, viruses seem not to respect basic rules, and cases of "abnormal" expression strategies are quiet common, although such strategies are usually also finally observed in rare cases of cellular gene expression. Concerning translation, viruses most often violate Kozak's original rule that eukaryotic translation starts from a capped monocistronic mRNA and involves linear scanning to find the first suitable start codon. Thus, many viral cases have been described where translation is initiated from noncapped RNA, using an internal ribosome entry site. This review centers on other viral translation strategies, namely shunting and virus-controlled reinitiation as first described in plant pararetroviruses (Caulimoviridae). In shunting, major parts of a complex leader are bypassed and not melted by scanning ribosomes. In the Caulimoviridae, this process is coupled to reinitiation after translation of a small open reading frame; in other cases, it is possibly initiated upon pausing of the scanning ribosome. Most of the Caulimoviridae produce polycistronic mRNAs. Two basic mechanisms are used for their translation. Alternative translation of the downstream open reading frames in the bacilliform Caulimoviridae occurs by a leaky scanning mechanism, and reinitiation of polycistronic translation in many of the icosahedral Caulimoviridae is enabled by the action of a viral transactivator. Both of these processes are discussed here in detail and compared to related processes in other viruses and cells.

Animals↗

Differential roles of the 5' untranslated regions of cucumber mosaic virus RNAs 1, 2, 3 and 4 in translational competition.

RNA species of plant tripartite RNA viruses show distinct translational activities in vitro when the viral RNA concentration is high. However, it is not known what causes the differential translation of virion RNAs. Using an in vitro wheat germ translation system, we investigated the translation efficiencies and competitive activities of chimeric cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) RNAs that contained viral untranslated regions (UTRs) and a luciferase-coding sequence. The chimeric RNAs exhibited distinct translation efficiencies and competitive activities. For example, the translation of chimeric CMV RNA 4 was about 40-fold higher than that of chimeric CMV RNA 3 in a competitive environment. The distinct translation resulted mainly from differences in competitive activities rather than translation efficiencies of the chimeric RNAs. The differential competitive activities were specified by viral 5 UTRs, but not by 3 UTRs or viral proteins. The competitive translational activities of the 5 UTRs were as follows: RNA 4 (coat protein)>RNAs 2 and 1 (2a and 1a protein, or replicase )> RNA 3 (3a protein).

5' Untranslated Regions↗