TRANSLATIONAL CONTROL OF GENE EXPRESSION IN EUKARYOTES: mRNA ENCODING ABUNDANT AND SCARSE PROTEINS ARE DISSIMILAR IN MANY STRUCTURAL FEATURES
Kochetov A. V., Vorobiev D. G., Babenko V. N., Kisselev L. L., Kolchanov N. A.
Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Pr. Lavrentieva 10, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia;; Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, 117418, Russia; E-mail: ak@bionet.nsc.ru ; Fax: 8-(3832)-356558; Phone: 8-(3832)-354319
Structural and contextual features of mRNAs encoding high- and low-abundant
proteins in eukaryotic cells were compared. These two mRNA groups were
found to differ in their 5' untranslated regions (5'-UTR): statistically,
the leader sequences of the low-expression mRNAs are longer, their guanine
plus cytosine content is higher, and they form more stable secondary structures
than the leaders of the high-expression mRNAs. Analysis of the translational
properties of the mRNAs of the low-expression genes demonstrated weaker
context of the translation start codon and more frequent occurrence of
AUGs within their 5'UTRs compared with the high-expression mRNAs. Apart
from the differences in the 5'UTRs, high-expression mRNAs more frequently
contain strong termination signals. These structural features of the of
low- and high-expression mRNAs may contribute to the different translational
efficiency and abundance of their protein products. It seems likely that
optimal structural features of mRNA are essential to maintain the high
expression level of eukaryotic genes whereas small amounts of regulatory
polypeptides may be efficiently produced from low-active mRNAs. Besides,
low mRNA translational efficiency may be important to make the control
of expression of regulatory genes more stringent to prevent overproduction.
Significant differences between the structural features of 5'UTR mRNA
may be used to discriminate between the high and low expression eukaryotic
genes. We designed a version of computer program (http://wwwmgs.bionet.nsc.ru/programs/acts2/dicot.htm)
allowing to predict the expression level of genes of dicot plants. This
program may also be used in genetic engineering to predict the expression
level of foreign genes in transgenic dicot plants.