Identifying Non-Traditional Slippery Sequences Associated with Translational Frameshifts

Identifying Non-Traditional Slippery Sequences Associated with Translational Frameshifts

ABE Building

Genetic frameshifts are a mutation in which
a nucleotide skip leads to a shift in the
reading frame. In viruses, these frameshifts
can be programmed using a slippery
sequence to bypass the stop codon
associated with the initial protein. This
allows for variable control of protein
expression. In bacteriophages, translational
frameshifts have been identified but only a
few have been proven experimentally. Using
experimental data and comparative
genomics, non-traditional slippery
sequences can be identified as assisting in
controlling the protein coding throughout
viruses. Novel slippery sequences can aid in
the understanding of protein expression in
biological environments and further the
understanding of how viruses utilize the
frameshift to their advantage. This
advantage can potentially lead the way in
controlling the expression of select proteins in pharmaceutical industry.