Abstract
During eukaryotic cellular protein synthesis, ribosomal translation is made more efficient through interaction between the two ends of the messenger RNA (mRNA). Ribosomes reaching the 3′ end of the mRNA can thus recycle and begin translation again on the same mRNA, the so-called ‘closed-loop’ model. Using a driven diffusion lattice model of translation, we study the effects of ribosome recycling on the dynamics of ribosome flow and density on the mRNA. We show that ribosome recycling induces a substantial increase in ribosome current. Furthermore, for sufficiently large values of the recycling rate, the lattice does not transition directly from low to high ribosome density, as seen in lattice models without recycling. Instead, a maximal current phase becomes accessible for much lower values of the initiation rate, and multiple phase transitions occur over a wide region of the phase plane. Crucially, we show that in the presence of ribosome recycling, mRNAs can exhibit a peak in protein production at low values of the initiation rate, beyond which translation rate decreases. This has important implications for translation of certain mRNAs, suggesting that there is an optimal concentration of ribosomes at which protein synthesis is maximal, and beyond which translational efficiency is impaired.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 20140589 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of the Royal Society Interface |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 98 |
Early online date | 9 Jul 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 6 Sept 2014 |
Bibliographical note
Funding statementThe authors thank BBSRC (BB/F00513/X1, BB/I020926/1 and DTG) and SULSA for funding.
Acknowledgement
The authors thank R. Allen, L. Ciandrini, B. Gorgoni and P. Greulich for very helpful discussions and careful reading of the manuscript.
Keywords
- ribosome recycling
- translation
- totally asymmetric simple exclusion process
- RLI1
- ABCE1
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M Carmen Romano
- School of Natural & Computing Sciences, Physics - Personal Chair
- Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology (ICSMB)
Person: Academic
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Ian Stansfield
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Molecular and Cellular Function
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Medical Sciences - School Director of Research, Personal Chair
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences
Person: Academic