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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 278, Issue 42, 40503-40513, October 17, 2003

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Two Alternative Translation Mechanisms Are Responsible for the Expression of the HCV ARFP/F/Core+1 Coding Open Reading Frame^*

Niki Vassilaki and Penelope Mavromara 

From the Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vas. Sofias Avenue, Athens, Greece 11521

HCV-1 produces a novel protein, known as ARFP, F, or core+1. This protein is encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) that overlaps the core gene in the +1 frame (core+1 ORF). In vitro this protein is produced by a ribosomal frameshift mechanism. However, similar studies failed to detect the ARFP/F/core+1 protein in the HCV-1a (H) isolate. To clarify this issue and to elucidate the functions of this protein, we examined the expression of the core+1 ORF by the HCV-1 and HCV-1a (H) isolates in vivo, in transfected cells. For this purpose, we carried out luciferase (LUC) tagging experiments combined with site-directed mutagenesis studies. Our results showed that the core+1-LUC chimeric protein was efficiently produced in vivo by both isolates. More importantly, neither changes in the specific 10-A residue region of HCV-1 (codons 8-11), the proposed frameshift site for the production of the ARFP/F/core+1 protein in vitro, nor the alteration of the ATG start site of the HCV polyprotein to a stop codon significantly affected the in vivo expression of the core+1 ORF. Furthermore, we showed that efficient translation initiation of the core+1 ORF is mediated by internal initiation codon(s) within the core/core+1-coding sequence, located between nucleotides 583 and 606. Collectively, our data suggest the existence of an alternative translation initiation mechanism that may result in the synthesis of a shorter form of the core+1 protein in transfected cells.

Received for publication, May 27, 2003 , and in revised form, July 21, 2003.

^* The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

To whom correspondence should be addressed: Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vas. Sofias Ave., Athens, Greece 11521. Tel.: 210-6478875; Fax: 210-6478877; E-mail: penelopm{at}hol.gr.

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