Functions of the 5,-terminal m7G cap in eukaryotic mRNA

Probing the function of the eucaryotic 5' cap structure by using a monoclonal antibody directed against cap-binding proteins

A monoclonal antibody directed against cap-binding proteins was used to elucidate the possible mechanism by which cap-binding proteins function in initiation of eucaryotic translation. The monoclonal antibody preparation employed in this study exhibited a marked differential effect in inhibiting the translation of folded, capped eucaryotic-mRNAs to a far greater extent than naturally uncapped mRNAs or native capped mRNAs that do not possess extensive 5' end secondary structure. These findings were consistent with the effects of the antibody on initiation complex formation with three different types of reovirus mRNA: native reovirus mRNA; inosine-substituted reovirus mRNA, which has a relaxed secondary structure; and bromouridine-substituted reovirus mRNA, in which base pairing is enhanced relative to regular reovirus mRNA. The extent that translation initiation complex formation was inhibited by the monoclonal antibody directly correlated to the degree of secondary structure present in the mRNA. Binding of bromouridine-substituted reovirus mRNA to ribosomes was inhibited to the greatest extent, while binding of inosine-substituted reovirus mRNA was not inhibited at all in the reticulocyte lysate system or was slightly inhibited in a wheat-germ system. These results support the hypothesis that cap-binding proteins are involved in unwinding of the 5' terminal, secondary structure of many eucaryotic mRNAs, thus facilitating the attachment of ribosomes to mRNA.

Preproceruloplasmin is a primary product of cell-free translation of ceruloplasmin messenger RNA

Biosynthesis of ceruloplasmin was studied in wheat germ extract programmed with polysomal RNA from rat liver. Optimal potassium concentration for the total protein-synthesizing activity and for the synthesis of immunoreactive ceruloplasmin was 96 and 186 mM respectively. 7-methylguanosine 5'-monophosphate caused two-fold inhibition of the cell-free synthesis of ceruloplasmin. Immunoprecipitated ceruloplasmin that was synthesized at optimal potassium concentration was a homogeneous polypeptide of a molecular weight about 84 kD. The addition of membrane fractions from rat liver to the incubation mixture caused the conversion of the 84 kD polypeptide into 80 kD and 65 kD polypeptides that are similar to proceruloplasmins synthesized in rat liver during in vivo pulse labelling. The suggestion is made that 84 kD polypeptide is a primary product of the translation of ceruloplasmin mRNA (preproceruloplasmin).

Highly purified ceruloplasmin messenger RNA from rat liver. Physico-chemical and functional characteristics

Highly purified ceruloplasmin mRNA was isolated from rat liver polyribosomes. The molecular weight of ceruloplasmin mRNA is in a range from 1.05 to 1.25 . 10(6) daltons which is large enough to code for a putative precursor of ceruloplasmin (approximately 700 amino acid acids). Ceruloplasmin mRNA contains 3'-terminal poly(A) the length of which varies from 38 to 165 nucleotides. The 5'-end of ceruloplasmin mRNA is blocked with confronting m7G residue which is a component of cap I (m7G5'ppp5'XmpAp). The addition of ceruloplasmin mRNA to wheat-germ cell free system programmed the synthesis of a product that was largely precipitated by anti-ceruloplasmin immunoglobulins. The translation product was homogeneous in polyacrylamide gel-sodium dodecylsulfate electrophoresis. Cell-free translation of ceruloplasmin mRNA was sensitive to inhibition by cap analogue.

Translation in vivo and in vitro of mRNAs coding for vitellogenin, serum albumin and very-low-density lipoprotein II from chicken liver. A difference in translational efficiency

Characterisation of polysomes from estrogenized chicken liver revealed that very-low-density lipoprotein II (VLDLII), serum albumin and vitellogenin mRNAs are differently packed with ribosomes during translation in vivo. Tne ribosome density per number of nucleotides is high for VLDLII mRNA, intermediate for serum albumin mRNA and low for vitellogenin mRNA. This difference in ribosomal load is maintained throughout the period of hormone effect. The differential utilisation observed for vitellogenin and VLDLII mRNAs partly explains the large difference in molar production rate between these yolk protein precursors. Translation properties and efficiency of the three hepatic mRNAs were also compared in the mRNA-depleted reticulocyte lysate. Elongation of the nascent chains for vitellogenin and serum albumin proceeded in a discontinuous fashion. Initiation in vitro was studied at varying ionic strengths, in the presence of aurintricarboxylic acid, and at suboptimal hemin concentrations. VLDLII mRNA expression is by far the most resistant to 7-methylguanosine 5'-triphosphate (m7GTP) and high salt concentrations, vitellogenin mRNA the least. This behaviour resembles the differential utilisation of the mRNAs in vivo. The putative structural basis of these differences is discussed.

Binding of ribosomes to linear and circular forms of the 5'-terminal leader fragment of tobacco-mosaic-virus RNA

The sequence of the 5'-terminal leader fragment preceding the AUG codon in the RNA of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), tomato strain, SPS isolate, has been determined. This RNA, similarly to the RNAs of the U1 and Dahlemense strains of TMV [Kukla et al. (1979) Eur. J. Biochem. 98, 61--66] has the 7-methylguanosine(5')triphospho(5')guanosine cap separated from the initiation codon by a long stretch of nucleotides devoid of guanosine residues. The RNase-T1-resistant 73-nucleotide-long leader fragment of TMV RNA from the SPS isolate was assayed for its ability to interact with eukaryotic and prokaryotic ribosomes. The linear fragment, labelled either at its 5' or 3' end, efficiently formed disome initiation complexes when incubated with wheat-germ protein-synthesis extract. In contrast to its linear counterpart, the circular covalently closed RNA leader fragment, obtained in a reaction catalysed by T4 RNA ligase, was unable to interact with wheat germ ribosomes. Both kinds of leader fragment bound equally well to Escherichia coli 70-S ribosomes. The results offer further support to the notion that in eukaryotic initiation the free 5' end (either capped or uncapped) is required for mRNA interaction with ribosomes. Furthermore, they suggest that both ribosomes found in disome initiation complexes with the TMV RNA leader fragment enter the mRNA sequentially via the free 5' terminus.