The many paths to frameshifting: kinetic modelling and analysis of the effects of different elongation steps on programmed –1 ribosomal frameshifting

Liao, Pei-Yu; Choi, Yong Seok; Dinman, Jonathan D.; Lee, Kelvin H.

Several parameters in the kinetic model, such as r t , r -t , k pas2 , k -pas2 , r t3 and r -t3 , have not been measured experimentally in the literature. The test ranges for these parameters are based on our current kinetic understanding of translation elongation. The rate constants for translocation and aa-tRNA selection range from 0.47 to 1980 s À1 (Supplementary Tables S1-S4). The average protein synthesis rate is 10-20 s À1 in prokaryotic cells but some codons are translated at a rate <10 s À1 (42). Therefore, a broad range (1-100 s À1 ), within the scope of the known elongation rate constants, was tested to understand the impact each of these unknown parameters on À1 frameshifting (Figures 4, 6 and 7) . Notably, these figures do not show the impact of these parameters >100 s À1 because the curves level off for the parameters at this range.