Project Details
Description
The objectives of this proposal are to identify cellular components
involved in ribosomal selection of the translation initiation codon
in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A combination of the
powerful techniques of classical yeast genetics and modern
molecular biology will be used to characterize revertants of a
previously defined mutant (cycl-362 allele) known to be defective
in initiation of translation of CYC1 messenger RNA (Stiles et al.,
Cell 25:277 (1981)). Specific aims include the following: (i)
isolate revertants of cycl-362 by established selection procedures;
(ii) genetically distinguish local (CYC1-linked) from extragenic
suppressors; (iii) characterize the CYC1 locus from each by DNA
sequence analysis and 5' endpoint transcript mapping; (iv) clone
the most appropriate extragenic suppressor of the cycl-362
defect; (v) extensively characterize the cloned suppressor; and (vi)
ultimately identify the suppressor-encoded trans-acting factor.
Extensive biochemical studies of the translational apparatus has
identified the components involved in translation initiation and
elongation. However, these results do not account for potential
control of gene expression at the translational level. It is clear,
however, that a number of genes, including many involved in
physiological and developmental control mechanisms, are
translationally regulated. In yeast, for example, a nuclear gene
involved in coordinate control of amino acid biosynthetic genes is
translationally controlled. In higher eukaryotes, genes involved in
the heat shock response, light-induced developmental signals, and
other processes are translationally regulated. Moreover, recent
evidence suggests that the tat gene product from human
immunodeficiency virus controls translation of the viral encoded
messenger RNAs.
Translational control is clearly a significant mechanism for
controlling the expression of certain genes, yet our present
understanding of translation initiation is insufficient to account
for such mechanisms. The research program described herein is
designed to address this problem by specifically characterizing
the factors involved in selection of the translation initiation
codon.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 12/31/89 → 7/31/93 |
ASJC
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
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