Transcriptional slippage in bacteria: distribution in sequenced genomes and utilization in IS element gene expression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Transcription slippage occurs on certain patterns of repeat mononucleotides, resulting in synthesis of a heterogeneous population of mRNAs. Individual mRNA molecules within this population differ in the number of nucleotides they contain that are not specified by the template. When transcriptional slippage occurs in a coding sequence, translation of the resulting mRNAs yields more than one protein product. Except where the products of the resulting mRNAs have distinct functions, transcription slippage occurring in a coding region is expected to be disadvantageous. This probably leads to selection against most slippage-prone sequences in coding regions.

Results

To find a length at which such selection is evident, we analyzed the distribution of repetitive runs of A

SUBMITTER: Baranov PV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1088944 | biostudies-literature | 2005

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature