Translational recoding induced by G-rich mRNA sequences that form unusual structures

Participatory sequences in the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV tk) recoding are determined in a herpesvirus mutant. The findings demonstrate a novel mechanism that relies on the capacity of the G-rich sequences to generate unique inter- or intramolecular structures. Specifically, the sole influence of G-strings to activate a net +1 recoding in cultured cells is determined. On the other hand, mediation of recoding by the G-string structure inside the ribosome is proposed to proceed either by the Hoogsteen or non-Watson-Crick interactions.