Multiple ribosome binding to the 5'-terminal leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA. Assembly of an 80S ribosome X mRNA complex at the AUU codon

Traversing the RNA world

An invitation to write a "Reflections" type of article creates a certain ambivalence: it is a great honor, but it also infers the end of your professional career. Before you vanish for good, your colleagues look forward to an interesting but entertaining account of the ups-and-downs of your past research and your views on science in general, peppered with indiscrete anecdotes about your former competitors and collaborators. What follows will disappoint those who await complaint and criticism, for example, about the difficulties of doing research in the 1960s and 1970s in Eastern Europe, or those seeking very personal revelations. My scientific life has in fact seen many happy coincidences, much good fortune, and several lucky escapes from situations that at the time were quite scary. I have also been fortunate with regard to competitors and collaborators, particularly because, whenever possible, I tried to "neutralize" my rivals by collaborating with them - to the benefit of all. I recommend this strategy to young researchers to dispel the nightmares that can occur when competing against powerful contenders. I have been blessed with the selection of my research topic: RNA biology. Over the last five decades, new and unexpected RNA-related phenomena emerged almost yearly. I experienced them very personally while studying transcription, translation, RNA splicing, ribosome biogenesis, and more recently, different classes of regulatory non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs. Some selected research and para-research stories, also covering many wonderful people I had a privilege to work with, are summarized below.

Multiple different defense mechanisms are activated in the young transgenic tobacco plants which express the full length genome of the Tobacco mosaic virus, and are resistant against this virus

Previously described transgenic tobacco lines express the full length infectious Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) genome under the 35S promoter (Siddiqui et al., 2007. Mol Plant Microbe Interact, 20: 1489-1494). Through their young stages these plants exhibit strong resistance against both the endogenously expressed and exogenously inoculated TMV, but at the age of about 7-8 weeks they break into TMV infection, with typical severe virus symptoms. Infections with some other viruses (Potato viruses Y, A, and X) induce the breaking of the TMV resistance and lead to synergistic proliferation of both viruses. To deduce the gene functions related to this early resistance, we have performed microarray analysis of the transgenic plants during the early resistant stage, and after the resistance break, and also of TMV-infected wild type tobacco plants. Comparison of these transcriptomes to those of corresponding wild type healthy plants indicated that 1362, 1150 and 550 transcripts were up-regulated in the transgenic plants before and after the resistance break, and in the TMV-infected wild type tobacco plants, respectively, and 1422, 1200 and 480 transcripts were down-regulated in these plants, respectively. These transcriptome alterations were distinctly different between the three types of plants, and it appears that several different mechanisms, such as the enhanced expression of the defense, hormone signaling and protein degradation pathways contributed to the TMV-resistance in the young transgenic plants. In addition to these alterations, we also observed a distinct and unique gene expression alteration in these plants, which was the strong suppression of the translational machinery. This may also contribute to the resistance by slowing down the synthesis of viral proteins. Viral replication potential may also be suppressed, to some extent, by the reduction of the translation initiation and elongation factors eIF-3 and eEF1A and B, which are required for the TMV replication complex.

Leader sequences of eukaryotic mRNA can be simultaneously bound to initiating 80S ribosome and 40S ribosomal subunit

Binding of mRNA leader sequences to ribosomes was studied in conditions of a cell-free translation system based on wheat germ extract. Leader sequence of TMV mRNA (the so-called omega-RNA sequence) was able to bind simultaneously 80S ribosome and 40S ribosomal subunit. It was found that nucleotide substitutions in omega-RNA resulting in destabilization of RNA structure have no effect on the complex formation with both 80S ribosome and 40S ribosomal subunit. Leader sequence of globin mRNA is also able to form a similar joint complex. It is supposed that the ability of mRNA leader sequences to bind simultaneously 80S ribosome and 40S subunit is independent of leader nature and may reflect previously unknown eukaryotic mechanisms of translation initiation.

Plants as bioreactors: Recent developments and emerging opportunities

In recent years, the use of plants as bioreactors has emerged as an exciting area of research and significant advances have created new opportunities. The driving forces behind the rapid growth of plant bioreactors include low production cost, product safety and easy scale up. As the yield and concentration of a product is crucial for commercial viability, several strategies have been developed to boost up protein expression in transgenic plants. Augmenting tissue-specific transcription, elevating transcript stability, tissue-specific targeting, translation optimization and sub-cellular accumulation are some of the strategies employed. Various kinds of products that are currently being produced in plants include vaccine antigens, medical diagnostics proteins, industrial and pharmaceutical proteins, nutritional supplements like minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and biopolymers. A large number of plant-derived recombinant proteins have reached advanced clinical trials. A few of these products have already been introduced in the market.

Improvement of the pBI121 plant expression vector by leader replacement with a sequence combining a poly(CAA) and a CT motif

To improve expression levels of recombinant proteins in plants, a new leader sequence was designed. Several elements known to enhance gene translation and/or transcription were considered, including the CaMV 35S Inr site, a CT-rich motif often shared by highly expressed plant genes and a poly(CAA) region widespread in tobamovirus and plant leaders. The effect of the synthetic leader on gusA expression was evaluated in genetically modified tobacco plants by measuring the beta-glucuronidase activity and the mRNA level. When compared to the gusA leader of pBI121, the new sequence determined a 8.6-fold and a 12.5-fold increase of enzyme concentration taking into account the whole plant population or the above-average expressors, respectively. Since most pCAMBIA vectors harbour a very short 5'-UTR, identical to a fragment of the pBI121 leader, leader replacement with the sequence herein described is strongly suggested.

Transgenic rice plants expressing trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase show resistance to the Fusarium phytotoxin deoxynivalenol

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of small grain cereal crops caused by the necrotrophic pathogen Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum. These fungi produce the trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives, which enhance the disease development during their interactions with host plants. For the self-protection, the trichothecene producer Fusarium species have Tri101 encoding trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase. Although transgenic expression of Tri101 significantly reduced inhibitory action of DON on tobacco plants, there are several conflicting observations regarding the phytotoxicity of 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) to cereal plants; 3-ADON was reported to be highly phytotoxic to wheat at low concentrations. To examine whether cereal plants show sufficient resistance to 3-ADON, we generated transgenic rice plants with stable expression and inheritance of Tri101. While root growth of wild-type rice plants was severely inhibited by DON in the medium, this fungal toxin was not phytotoxic to the transgenic lines that showed trichothecene 3-O-acetylation activity. This is the first report demonstrating the DON acetylase activity and DON-resistant phenotype of cereal plants expressing the fungal gene.

Reduced contamination by the Fusarium mycotoxin zearalenone in maize kernels through genetic modification with a detoxification gene

Maize is subject to ear rot caused by toxigenic Aspergillus and Fusarium species, resulting in contamination with aflatoxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, and zearalenone (ZEN). The trichothecene group and ZEN mycotoxins are produced by the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. A transgenic detoxification system for the elimination of ZEN was previously developed using an egfp::zhd101 gene (gfzhd101), encoding an enhanced green fluorescent protein fused to a ZEN-degrading enzyme. In this study, we produced a transgenic maize line expressing an intact copy of gfzhd101 and examined the feasibility of transgene-mediated detoxification in the kernels. ZEN-degrading activity has been detected in transgenic kernels during seed maturation (for a period of 6 weeks after pollination). The level of detoxification activity was unaltered after an additional storage period of 16 weeks at 6 degrees C. When the seeds were artificially contaminated by immersion in a ZEN solution for 48 h at 28 degrees C, the total amount of the mycotoxin in the transgenic seeds was uniformly reduced to less than 1/10 of that in the wild type. The ZEN in the transgenic maize kernels was also efficiently decontaminated under conditions of lower water activity (aw) and temperature; e.g., 16.9 microg of ZEN was removed per gram of seed within 48 h at an aw of 0.90 at 20 degrees C. F. graminearum infection assays demonstrated an absence of ZEN in the transgenic maize seeds, while the mycotoxin accumulated in wild-type kernels under the same conditions. Transgene-mediated detoxification may offer simple solutions to the problems of mycotoxin contamination in maize.

A fluorescent antibiotic resistance marker for rapid production of transgenic rice plants

Blasticidin S (BS) is an aminoacylnucleoside antibiotic used for the control of rice blast disease. To establish a new cereal transformation system, we constructed a visual marker gene designated gfbsd, encoding an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fused to the N-terminus of BS deaminase (BSD). It was cloned into a monocot expression vector and introduced into rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare) calluses by microprojectile bombardment. Three to five weeks after the bombardment, multicellular clusters emitting bright-green EGFP fluorescence were obtained with 10 microg/ml BS, which is not sufficient to completely inhibit the growth of non-transformed tissues. Fluorescent sectors (approximately 2mm in diameter) excised from the calluses regenerated into transgenic plantlets (approximately 10 cm in height) as early as 51 (average 77+/-11) days after the bombardment. The visual antibiotic selection was more efficient and required less time than the bialaphos selection with bar. In addition, the small size (1.1 kb) of gfbsd is preferable for construction of transformation vectors. This new marker gene will make a significant contribution in molecular genetic studies of rice plants.

Ribosomal proteins cross-linked to the initiator AUG codon of a mRNA in the translation initiation complex by UV-irradiation

Eukaryotic ribosomal proteins constituting the binding site for the initiator codon AUG on the ribosome at the translation initiation step were investigated by UV-induced cross-linking between protein and mRNA. The 80S-initiation complex was formed in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system in the presence of sparsomycin with radiolabeled Omega-fragment as a template, which was a 73-base 5'-leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA having AUG at the extreme 3'-terminal end and extended with 32pCp. Two radioactive peaks were sedimented by sucrose gradient centrifugation, one being the 80S initiation complex formed at the 3'-terminal AUG codon, and the other presumably a "disome" with an additional 80S ribosome bound at an upstream AUU codon, formed when Omega-fragment was incubated with sparsomycin [Filipowicz and Henni (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76, 3111-3115]. Cross-links between ribosomal proteins and the radiolabeled Omega-fragment were induced in situ by UV-irradiation at 254 nm. After extensive nuclease digestion of the complexes, ribosomal proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Autoradiography identified the proteins S7, S10, S25, S29, and L5 of the 80S initiation complex and S7, S25, S29 and L5 of that in the disome as 32P-labeled proteins. Together with the results of cross-linking experiments of other investigators and recently solved crystal structures of prokaryotic ribosomes, the spatial arrangement of eukaryotic ribosomal proteins at the AUG-binding domain is discussed.

Expression in cereal plants of genes that inactivate Fusarium mycotoxins

Trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase (encoded by Tri101) inactivates the virulence factor of the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Zearalenone hydrolase (encoded by zhd101) detoxifies the oestrogenic mycotoxin produced by the same pathogen. These genes were introduced into a model monocotyledon rice plant to evaluate their usefulness for decontamination of mycotoxins. The strong and constitutive rice Act1 promoter did not cause accumulation of TRI101 protein in transgenic rice plants. In contrast, the same promoter was suitable for transgenic production of ZHD101 protein; so far, five promising T0 plants have been generated. Low transgenic expression of Tri101 was suggested to be increased by addition of an omega enhancer sequence upstream of the start codon.

Translation in plants--rules and exceptions

Translation processes in plants are very similar to those in other eukaryotic organisms and can in general be explained with the scanning model. Particularly among plant viruses, unconventional mRNAs are frequent, which use modulated translation processes for their expression: leaky scanning, translational stop codon readthrough or frameshifting, and transactivation by virus-encoded proteins are used to translate polycistronic mRNAs; leader and trailer sequences confer (cap-independent) efficient ribosome binding, usually in an end-dependent mechanism, but true internal ribosome entry may occur as well; in a ribosome shunt, sequences within an RNA can be bypassed by scanning ribosomes. Translation in plant cells is regulated under conditions of stress and during development, but the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been determined. Only a small number of plant mRNAs, whose structure suggests that they might require some unusual translation mechanisms, have been described.

Non-canonical translation mechanisms in plants: efficient in vitro and in planta initiation at AUU codons of the tobacco mosaic virus enhancer sequence

The 5' untranslated leader (Omega sequence) of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) genomic RNA was utilized as a translational enhancer sequence in expression of the 17 kDa putative movement protein (pr17) of potato leaf roll luteovirus (PLRV). In vitro translation of RNAs transcribed from appropriate chimeric constructs, as well as their expression in transgenic potato plants, resulted in the expected wild-type pr17 protein, as well as in larger translational products recognized by pr17-specific antisera. Mutational analyses revealed that the extra proteins were translated by non-canonical initiation at AUU codons present in the wild-type Omega sequence. In the plant system translation initiated predominantly at the AUU codon at positions 63-65 of the Omega sequence. Additional AUU codons in a different reading frame of the Omega sequence also showed the capacity for efficient translation initiation in vitro. These results extend the previously noted activity of the TMV 5' leader sequence in ribosome binding and translation enhancement in that the TMV translation enhancer can mediate non-canonical translation initiation in vitro and in vivo.

The complete nucleotide sequence of odontoglossum ringspot virus (Cy-1 strain) genomic RNA

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genomic RNA of odontoglossum ringspot virus Cy-1 strain (ORSV Cy-1) was determined using cloned cDNA. This sequence is 6611 nucleotides long containing four open reading frames, which correspond to 126 K, 183 K, 31 K, and 18 K proteins. Its genomic organization is similar to other tobamoviruses, TMV-V(vulgare), TMV-L (tomato strain), tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV) and cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). The 5' non-coding regions of ORSV Cy-1 is 62 nucleotides. The ORFs encoded a 126 K polypeptide and a 183 K read-through product in which helicase-sequence and polymerase-sequence motifs are found. The ORFs encoding the 126 K and 183 K proteins have 61% and 63% identities with those of TMV-V. The third ORF encoded a 31 K protein homologous to TMV cell-to-cell movement protein. It has 63% identities with that of TMV-V. The fourth ORF encoded an 18 K coat protein. The 5' non-coding region, which extends from base 1 to 62 has 2 G residues and a ribosome binding site (AUU). The 3' non-coding region, 414 nucleotides in length, is entirely different from that of other tobamoviruses.

The complete nucleotide sequence and genome organization of odontoglossum ringspot tobamovirus RNA

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genomic RNA of odontoglossum ringspot tobamovirus (ORSV) was determined. The RNA genome of ORSV is 6618 nucleotides long and contains five open reading frames (ORFs 1 to 5) coding for proteins of M(r) 126 K, 181 K, 34 K, 18 K and 52 K, respectively. This is the longest RNA of the known viruses of the Tobamovirus genus. The sequences of the ORSV RNA encoded proteins exhibit high homology to the proteins of the members of the Tobamovirus genus. The genomic organization and sequence analysis showed that ORSV is more closely related to tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMV), tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and TMV than to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) and sunn-hemp mosaic virus (SHMV).

Deletion analysis of the 5' untranslated leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA

To determine the sequences essential for viral multiplication in the 5' untranslated leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA, mutant TMV-L (a tomato strain) RNAs which carry several deletions in this 71-nucleotide sequence were constructed by an in vitro transcription system and their multiplication was analyzed by introducing mutant RNA into tobacco protoplasts by electroporation. Large deletions of the sequence from nucleotides 9 to 47 or 25 to 71 abolished viral multiplication; when about 10-nucleotide deletions were introduced throughout this 5' leader sequence, only deletion of the sequence from nucleotides 2 to 8 abolished detectable viral multiplication. This mutant RNA, however, directed the synthesis of the 130,000-molecular-weight protein in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate in vitro translation system, and consequently this 5'-proximal portion appears likely to be essential for replication.

Context effects and inefficient initiation at non-AUG codons in eucaryotic cell-free translation systems

The context requirements for recognition of an initiator codon were evaluated in vitro by monitoring the relative use of two AUG codons that were strategically positioned to produce long (pre-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase [CAT]) and short versions of CAT protein. The yield of pre-CAT initiated from the 5'-proximal AUG codon increased, and synthesis of CAT from the second AUG codon decreased, as sequences flanking the first AUG codon increasingly resembled the eucaryotic consensus sequence. Thus, under prescribed conditions, the fidelity of initiation in extracts from animal as well as plant cells closely mimics what has been observed in vivo. Unexpectedly, recognition of an AUG codon in a suboptimal context was higher when the adjacent downstream sequence was capable of assuming a hairpin structure than when the downstream region was unstructured. This finding adds a new, positive dimension to regulation by mRNA secondary structure, which has been recognized previously as a negative regulator of initiation. Translation of pre-CAT from an AUG codon in a weak context was not preferentially inhibited under conditions of mRNA competition. That result is consistent with the scanning model, which predicts that recognition of the AUG codon is a late event that occurs after the competition-sensitive binding of a 40S ribosome-factor complex to the 5' end of mRNA. Initiation at non-AUG codons was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by introducing appropriate mutations in the CAT and preproinsulin genes. GUG was the most efficient of the six alternative initiator codons tested, but GUG in the optimal context for initiation functioned only 3 to 5% as efficiently as AUG. Initiation at non-AUG codons was artifactually enhanced in vitro at supraoptimal concentrations of magnesium.

Regulation of tobamovirus gene expression

This chapter discusses tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) strains U1, OM, L, CGMMV, 0, and Cc. The production of each TMV protein is regulated differently, both in amounts and times of production. The chapter discusses some of the strategies that tobamoviruses uses to control gene expression: (1) different subgenomic RNA promoter/leader sequences control timing of expression of genes, (2) genes expressed via subgenomic mRNAs are expressed in decreasing amounts with increasing distances from the 3' terminus, and (3) TMV mRNAs appear to be translationally regulated differently from host mRNAs. Genome organization affects gene expression, but it appears to be equally important for the efficiency of replication and the ability of the genomic structure to be stably propagated. Different virus groups have evolved different gene arrangements. Tobamovirus genes expressed via subgenomic mRNAs appear to be expressed in increasing amounts when positioned nearer the 3’ terminus.

Context effects and inefficient initiation at non-AUG codons in eucaryotic cell-free translation systems

The context requirements for recognition of an initiator codon were evaluated in vitro by monitoring the relative use of two AUG codons that were strategically positioned to produce long (pre-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase [CAT]) and short versions of CAT protein. The yield of pre-CAT initiated from the 5'-proximal AUG codon increased, and synthesis of CAT from the second AUG codon decreased, as sequences flanking the first AUG codon increasingly resembled the eucaryotic consensus sequence. Thus, under prescribed conditions, the fidelity of initiation in extracts from animal as well as plant cells closely mimics what has been observed in vivo. Unexpectedly, recognition of an AUG codon in a suboptimal context was higher when the adjacent downstream sequence was capable of assuming a hairpin structure than when the downstream region was unstructured. This finding adds a new, positive dimension to regulation by mRNA secondary structure, which has been recognized previously as a negative regulator of initiation. Translation of pre-CAT from an AUG codon in a weak context was not preferentially inhibited under conditions of mRNA competition. That result is consistent with the scanning model, which predicts that recognition of the AUG codon is a late event that occurs after the competition-sensitive binding of a 40S ribosome-factor complex to the 5' end of mRNA. Initiation at non-AUG codons was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by introducing appropriate mutations in the CAT and preproinsulin genes. GUG was the most efficient of the six alternative initiator codons tested, but GUG in the optimal context for initiation functioned only 3 to 5% as efficiently as AUG. Initiation at non-AUG codons was artifactually enhanced in vitro at supraoptimal concentrations of magnesium.

The scanning model for translation: an update

The small (40S) subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes is believed to bind initially at the capped 5'-end of messenger RNA and then migrate, stopping at the first AUG codon in a favorable context for initiating translation. The first-AUG rule is not absolute, but there are rules for breaking the rule. Some anomalous observations that seemed to contradict the scanning mechanism now appear to be artifacts. A few genuine anomalies remain unexplained.

Studies on the mechanism of translational enhancement by the 5'-leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA

Translation of foreign mRNAs is enhanced by a cis-acting derivative (omega') of the 5'-leader sequence (omega) of tobacco mosaic virus RNA (vulgare strain). To explain this effect we have conducted several experiments in vitro. 1. The presence of various 5'-terminal sequences, including omega', did not significantly increase the half-lives of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) or neomycin phosphotransferase (NPTII) mRNAs in wheat-germ extract. Also, a long leader sequence, unrelated to omega', did not enhance expression of NPTII mRNA in vitro. 2. The ability of several leader sequences, including omega', to form multiple initiation complexes with 80S (wheat germ) ribosomes was examined using CAT or NPTII mRNAs incubated in the presence of sparsomycin. Formation of disome complexes was unrelated to the capacity of a 5'-leader sequence to enhance translation. 3. Expression of CAT mRNA in both wheat germ extract and messenger-dependent rabbit reticulocyte lysate was less susceptible to inhibition by increasing salt concentration when a 5'-proximal omega' sequence was present. This effect was less marked when the CAT mRNA was capped. Conversely at high salt concentrations, capping was less stimulatory for mRNA with a 5'-proximal omega' sequence. These data suggest that omega' and the cap enhance translation, at least in part, by a similar mechanism. We propose that both features reduce RNA secondary structure, thereby rendering the 5' terminus more accessible to scanning by 40S ribosomal subunits and/or interaction with associated initiation factors. This conclusion was supported by computer-based secondary-structure analyses of our SP6 RNA polymerase transcript sequences. The ability of 5' leader sequences from brome mosaic virus RNA 3, alfalfa mosaic virus RNA 4, and the genomic RNAs of turnip yellow mosaic virus, Rous sarcoma virus or tobacco mosaic virus (tomato strain) to enhance mRNA translation in eukaryotic systems may also be correlated with their respective secondary structures. A different mechanism probably accounts for the omega'-dependent enhancement of mRNA expression in Escherichia coli or in E. coli cell-free systems.

Mutational analysis of the tobacco mosaic virus 5'-leader for altered ability to enhance translation

Mutational analysis of the 5'-untranslated leader sequence (omega) of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was carried out to determine those sequences necessary for the translational enhancement associated with omega. Five deletion mutants, a single base substitution, and a 25 base replacement mutant were tested for alterations in omega's ability to enhance expression of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) mRNA in tobacco mesophyll protoplasts and Escherichia coli or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) mRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Alteration of an eight base subsequence required for the binding of a second ribosome resulted in the loss of translational enhancement in X. laevis oocytes but not in protoplasts. Substantial increases in enhancement were observed for several of the mutants in E. coli.

A comparison of eukaryotic viral 5'-leader sequences as enhancers of mRNA expression in vivo

The 5'-untranslated leader sequences of several plant RNA viruses, and a portion of the 5'-leader of an animal retrovirus, were tested for their ability to enhance expression of contiguous open reading frames for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) or beta-glucuronidase (GUS) in tobacco mesophyll protoplasts, Escherichia coli and oocytes of Xenopus laevis. Translation of capped or uncapped transcripts was substantially enhanced in almost all systems by the leader sequence of either the U1 or SPS strain of TMV. All leader sequences, except that of TYMV, stimulated expression of 5'-capped GUS mRNA with the native prokaryotic initiation codon context, in electroporated protoplasts. Only the TMV leaders enhanced translation of uncapped GUS mRNAs in protoplasts and increased expression of uncapped CAT mRNA in microinjected X. laevis oocytes. In oocytes, the TYMV leader sequence was inhibitory. In transformed E. coli, the TMV-U1 leader enhanced expression of both the native and eukaryotic context forms of GUS mRNA about 7.5-fold, despite the absence of a Shine-Dalgarno region in any of the transcripts. The absolute levels of GUS activity were all about 6-fold higher with mRNAs containing the native initiation codon context. In E. coli, the leaders of AlMV RNA4 and TYMV were moderately stimulatory whereas those of BMV RNA3, RSV and the SPS strain of TMV enhanced GUS expression by only 2- to 3-fold.

The 5'-leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA enhances the expression of foreign gene transcripts in vitro and in vivo

A 67-nucleotide portion of the non-coding, 5'-leader sequence of tobacco mosaic virus RNA [defined as omega' (Gr. omega prime)] has been shown to enhance the translation of contiguous foreign gene transcripts both in vitro and in vivo. Chemically-synthesized omega', containing convenient linker sequences, was inserted into derivatives of an in vitro transcription plasmid (pSP64) between the bacteriophage-SP6 promoter and sequences coding for either chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) or neomycin phosphotransferase (NPTII). Run-off in vitro transcripts, with or without a 5'-cap structure (G(5')ppp(5')G) and/or the omega' sequence, were tested in mRNA-dependent cell-free translation systems derived from rabbit reticulocyte lysate, wheat germ extract or Escherichia coli (MRE 600). In all cases, the presence of omega' increased the translational expression of both reporter genes, typically between 2- to 10-fold. Electroporation of isolated mesophyll protoplasts from Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi, or microinjection of oocytes from Xenopus laevis, with SP6-transcripts containing the CAT-coding region confirmed and extended the value of omega' as a potential translational enhancer of gene expression in vivo.