Cited by 185RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyGenomics and Phylogenetic Studies

Retapamulin-Assisted Ribosome Profiling Reveals the Alternative Bacterial Proteome

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Meydan, Sezen, Marks, James, Klepacki, Dorota, Sharma, Virag, Baranov, Pavel V., Firth, Andrew E., Margus, Tōnu, Kefi, Amira +2 more·2019·Molecular Cell

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Abstract

The use of alternative translation initiation sites enables production of more than one protein from a single gene, thereby expanding the cellular proteome. Although several such examples have been serendipitously found in bacteria, genome-wide mapping of alternative translation start sites has been unattainable. We found that the antibiotic retapamulin specifically arrests initiating ribosomes at start codons of the genes. Retapamulin-enhanced Ribo-seq analysis (Ribo-RET) not only allowed mapping of conventional initiation sites at the beginning of the genes, but strikingly, it also revealed putative internal start sites in a number of Escherichia coli genes. Experiments demonstrated that the internal start codons can be recognized by the ribosomes and direct translation initiation in vitro and in vivo. Proteins, whose synthesis is initiated at internal in-frame and out-of-frame start sites, can be functionally important and contribute to the "alternative" bacterial proteome. The internal start sites may also play regulatory roles in gene expression.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.02.017

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  • Growing experimental evidence in mycobacteria and other prokaryotes has shown that many sproteins are functional, requiring a rethinking of gene definitions.

    “However, growing experimental evidence in mycobacteria and other prokaryotes has shown that many sproteins are functional, requiring a rethinking of gene definitions (71–75).”

    From Mycobacterium smegmatis: The Vanguard of Mycobacterial Research (2023) · cites this paper as [72]

    The Results report an E. coli alternative protein, ArcB-C, whose translation was experimentally confirmed and whose start site gave cells a growth advantage under low-oxygen conditions. The Discussion says many additional translation starts were found, but their protein products’ functions are largely unknown; the experiments were confined to E. coli, not mycobacteria. The paper supports reconsidering some gene annotations, but not the broader claim that many small proteins have been shown to be functional. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Meydan, S., Marks, J., Klepacki, D., Sharma, V., Baranov, P. V., Firth, A. E., Margus, T., Kefi, A., Vázquez-Laslop, N., & Mankin, A. S.
Affiliations
  • University of Illinois Chicago (US)
  • German Center for Diabetes Research (DE)
  • University College Cork (IE)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Mankin, Alexander S.
Venue
Molecular Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-05
Volume
74
Issue
3
Pages
481-493.e6
ISSN
1097-2765 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2908521178
Cited by
184
References
123
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 9
FWCI
7.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Cell (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Cork Open Research Archive (University College Cork, Ireland) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Site cant be reached (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • PuSH - Publication Server of Helmholtz Zentrum München (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (MCB 1615851)
  • SFI-HRB-Wellcome Trust Biomedical Research Partnership (210692/Z/18/Z)
  • Wellcome Trust (106207)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
Keywords
retapamulin, ribosome profiling, alternative translation initiation sites, Escherichia coli, gene expression regulation
MeSH terms
Diterpenes, Escherichia coli, Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational, Ribosomes, RNA, Messenger, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Genome, Bacterial, Codon, Initiator, Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic, Proteome, Proteomics

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