PREFERENTIAL INITIATION AT THE 2ND AUG OF THE MEASLES-VIRUS-F MESSENGER-RNA - A ROLE FOR THE LONG UNTRANSLATED REGION

In the measles virus fusion (F) mRNA, a 574-bases-long untranslated re gion (UTR), is followed by three clustered AUGs at codon positions 1 ( AUG(1)), 4 (AUG(2)), and 15 (AUG(3)). We established that only transla tion initiation on AUG(1) or AUG(2) leads to the synthesis of function al F proteins. In the presence of the UTR translation initiation occur s almost exclusively at AUG(2). In its absence, the ribosomes initiate also from AUG(1) or AUG(3). (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.