Internal entry of ribosomes and ribosomal scanning involved in hepatitis B virus P gene expression

J Virol. 1989 Dec;63(12):5451-4. doi: 10.1128/JVI.63.12.5451-5454.1989.

Abstract

The recent demonstration that the synthesis of duck hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcriptase does not require translational frameshifting and the finding that poliovirus mRNA translation occurs in a cap-independent manner by internal binding of ribosomes in the 5' noncoding region led us to design experiments to test the hypothesis of internal entry of ribosomes on C gene mRNA for HBV P gene expression. We show that in human cells, translation can be initiated at the first AUG of the HBV P gene by entry of ribosomes in a region located upstream of the P gene. Moreover, the leaky scanning of ribosomes observed on the first AUG of the HBV P gene could be responsible for the synthesis of the two forms of reverse transcriptase described for HBV particles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • DNA, Recombinant / metabolism
  • Gene Expression*
  • Genes, Viral*
  • Hepatitis B virus / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Moloney murine leukemia virus / genetics
  • Plasmids
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Restriction Mapping
  • Ribosomes / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Transfection
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Structural Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA, Recombinant
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Structural Proteins