The translation of non-canonical open reading frames controls mucosal immunity.

ABSTRACT: The annotation of the mammalian protein-coding genome is incomplete. Arbitrary size restriction of open reading frames (ORFs) and the absolute requirement for a methionine codon as the sole initiator of translation have constrained the identification of potentially important transcripts with non-canonical protein-coding potential^1,2. Here, using unbiased transcriptomic approaches in macrophages that respond to bacterial infection, we show that ribosomes associate with a large number of RNAs that were previously annotated as 'non-protein coding'. Although the idea that such non-canonical ORFs can encode functional proteins is controversial^3,4, we identify a range of short and non-ATG-initiated ORFs that can generate stable and spatially distinct proteins. Notably, we s

SUBMITTER: Jackson R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6939389 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature