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Figure 2 | Genome Biology

Figure 2

From: A genetic code alteration generates a proteome of high diversity in the human pathogen Candida albicans

Figure 2

Mis-translation due to near-cognate decoding. The typical mRNA translation error in vivo in yeast is in the order of 10-5, but some codons are more prone to mis-translation than others by near-cognate tRNAs. In order to ensure that leucine mis-incorporation could be detected above background noise, the mass spectra were screened for the presence of peptides resulting from near-cognate decoding. (a) Table showing the theoretical mass and the expected m/Z peaks of the peptides that were screened in the mass spectroscopy experiments. The serine peptide was the product of correct translation of the recombinant gene used in the study, and it was the most abundant. The leucine peptide corresponded to a peptide synthesized by ambiguous decoding of the CUG codon by the C. albicans tRNACAGSer. The glutamate peptide was the product of decoding of the aspartate-GAU codon as glutamate by the near-cognate tRNA that decodes the glutamate GAA and GAG codons. Likewise, the lysine-AAA and AAG codons could be decoded by the near-cognate tRNAs that decode the asparagines AAU and AAC codons. (b) Mass spectrum of the serine peptide. (c) Mass spectrum of the leucine peptide. (d) Mass spectrum showing the region where the peak corresponding to the peptide containing glutamate at the aspartate position was expected (arrow). (e) Mass spectrum showing the region where the peak corresponding to the peptide containing asparagines in the position of the lysine-AAA codons was expected (arrow).

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