Net -1 frameshifting on a noncanonical sequence in a herpes simplex virus drug-resistant mutant is stimulated by nonstop mRNA.

ABSTRACT: Ribosomal frameshifting entails slippage of the translational machinery during elongation. Frameshifting permits expression of more than one polypeptide from an otherwise monocistronic mRNA, and can restore expression of polypeptides in the face of frameshift mutations. A common mutation conferring acyclovir resistance in patients with herpes simplex virus disease deletes one cytosine from a run of six cytosines (C-chord) in the viral thymidine kinase (tk) gene. However, this mutation does not abolish TK activity, which is important for pathogenicity. To investigate how this mutant retains TK activity, we engineered and analyzed viruses expressing epitope-tagged TK. We found that the mutant's TK activity can be accounted for by low levels of full-length TK polypeptide produced by net -1 fr

SUBMITTER: Pan D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3443137 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature