EFFICIENT CAP-DEPENDENT TRANSLATION OF POLYCISTRONIC PROKARYOTIC MESSENGER-RNAS IS RESTRICTED TO THE 1ST GENE IN THE OPERON

Certain polycistronic prokaryotic mRNAs, when modified at their 5′-termini with a cap structure, are translated as efficiently as, or more efficiently than eukaryotic mRNAs in a eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesising system. However, in this case efficient cap-dependent translation is apparently restricted to the 5′-proximal coding sequence. Moreover, certain translational regulatory signals potentially used by these prokaryotic mRNAs to regulate their levels of expression seem to be recognised by the eukaryotic translational components. The evolutionary significance and practical implications of these results are discussed. © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.