Alternative translations of a single RNA message: an identity switch of (2S,3R)-4,4,4-trifluorovaline between valine and isoleucine codons.

Abstract

Changed in translation: Bacterial expression hosts can be engineered so that a single RNA message can be read in different ways depending on the relative rates of competing aminoacylation reactions. The (2S,3R)-4,4,4-trifluorovaline can be assigned either to isoleucine or to valine codons according to whether the bacterial host overexpresses the isoleucyl- or the valyl-tRNA synthetase (IleRS and ValRS, respectively; see scheme).