2012/04/27 by Andrew E. Firth, Ian Brierley · 4 citations
Medicine · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Viral Infections and Immunology Research #RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms #Plant Virus Research Studies #Biology #RNA #Translation (biology) #Ribosome #Internal ribosome entry site #Genetics #Translational frameshift #Eukaryotic translation #Computational biology #Protein biosynthesis #Virology #Messenger RNA #Cell biology #Gene
paper · doi:10.1099/vir.0.042499-0
openalex publication_date 2012/04/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Viral protein synthesis is completely dependent upon the translational machinery of the host cell. However, many RNA virus transcripts have marked structural differences from cellular mRNAs that preclude canonical translation initiation, such as the absence of a 5' cap structure or the presence of highly structured 5'UTRs containing replication and/or packaging signals. Furthermore, whilst the great majority of cellular mRNAs are apparently monocistronic, RNA viruses must often express multiple proteins from their mRNAs. In addition, RNA viruses have very compact genomes and are under intense selective pressure to optimize usage of the available sequence space. Together, these features have driven the evolution of a plethora of non-canonical translational mechanisms in RNA viruses that help them to meet these challenges. Here, we review the mechanisms utilized by RNA viruses of eukaryotes, focusing on internal ribosome entry, leaky scanning, non-AUG initiation, ribosome shunting, reinitiation, ribosomal frameshifting and stop-codon readthrough. The review will highlight recently discovered examples of unusual translational strategies, besides revisiting some classical cases.