Recognition of translational termination signals

Ribosomes can specifically shift at certain codons so that the mRNA is read in two different reading frames. To determine if frameshifting occurs at the level of termination, polymers of defined sequence containing AUG, a coding sequence and an in- or out-of-phase nonsense codon were used to bind a termination substrate or to program synthesis and release of dipeptides in a highly purified in vitro translation system. fMet-tRNA bound to ribosomes with AUGUAA, AUGUAAn, AUGUUU, AUGUUA or AUGUAn was not a substrate for release factor RF-1. In contrast, AUGU1UAA, AUGU3UAAn, AUGU4UAAn, AUGU5UAAn effected RF-1-dependent release of fMet from ribosomes. This suggests that nonsense codons can stimulate release whether they occur in- or out-of-phase. Addition of exogenous UAA and RF-1 stimulated release with all oligonucleotides tested. Propagation restricted the RF-1-dependent recognition of out-of-phase nonsense codons but did not restrict recognition of in-phase UAA in AUGU3UAAn. Release of dipeptides from ribosomes programmed with AUGU4UAAn occurred without EF-G and with a mutant lacking EF-G activity, suggesting that out-of-phase termination can occur prior to translocation outside the ribosomal A-site. We propose that the ribosome X RF complex is required to complete proteins, but is also able to frameshift at a nonsense codon resulting in occasional out-of-phase termination of protein synthesis.