N-terminal alanine-rich (NTAR) sequences drive precise start codon selection resulting in elevated translation of multiple proteins including ERK1/2.

ABSTRACT: We report the discovery of N-terminal alanine-rich sequences, which we term NTARs, that act in concert with their native 5'-untranslated regions to promote selection of the proper start codon. NTARs also facilitate efficient translation initiation while limiting the production of non-functional polypeptides through leaky scanning. We first identified NTARs in the ERK1/2 kinases, which are among the most important signaling molecules in mammals. Analysis of the human proteome reveals that hundreds of proteins possess NTARs, with housekeeping proteins showing a particularly high prevalence. Our data indicate that several of these NTARs act in a manner similar to those found in the ERKs and suggest a mechanism involving some or all of the following features: alanine richness, codon rarity, a

SUBMITTER: Busca R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10450180 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature