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Translation rates and misreading characteristics of rpsD mutants in Escherichia coli

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Summary

Three ribosomal ambiguity (Ram) mutants, changed in ribosomal protein S4, have been examined with respect to elongation rate and misreading of translation in vivo and in vitro. Ram mutants increase misreading of nonsense codons in vivo, compared to wild type, between 2–50 times depending on the nature of the nonsense codon, its position, and which rpsD allele is present. Ram ribosomes also show an increased error frequency in vitro. The elongation rate of translation does not seem to be significantly changed, neither in vivo nor in vitro, irrespective of which rpsD allele is present.

We suggest that there exists no general relationship between the accuracy and the overall speed of translation in Ram strains.

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Abbreviations

poly U:

poly(uridylic acid)

IPTG:

isopropyl B-(scd)-thiogalactopyranoside

ATP:

adenosine (5′) triphosphate

GTP:

guanosine (5′) triphosphate

ONPG:

o-nitrophenyl-B-d-galactoside

Phe:

phenylalanine

Leu:

leucine

EF-G:

efongation factor G

EF-Tu:

elongation factor Tu

EF-Ts:

elongation factor Ts

Tet-R:

tetracycline resistance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, The Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 590, S-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden

    Dan I. Andersson, Kai Bohman, Leif A. Isaksson & Charles G. Kurland

Authors
  1. Dan I. Andersson
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  2. Kai Bohman
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  3. Leif A. Isaksson
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  4. Charles G. Kurland
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Communicated by A. Böck

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Andersson, D.I., Bohman, K., Isaksson, L.A. et al. Translation rates and misreading characteristics of rpsD mutants in Escherichia coli . Molec Gen Genet 187, 467–472 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00332630

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00332630

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