Codon Bias Can Determine Sorting of a Potassium Channel Protein

Authors

Anja J. Engel, Technische Universitat Darmstadt
Marina Kithil, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Markus Langhans, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Oliver Rauh, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Matea Cartolano, Technische Universität Darmstadt
James L. Van Etten, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Anna Moroni, Univerisity of Milan
Gerhard Thiel, Technische Universität Darmstadt

ORCID IDs

Marina Kithil

Markus Langhans

Oliver Rauh

James L. Van Etten

Anna Moroni

Gerhard Thiel

Date of this Version

5-7-2021

Citation

Engel, A.J.; Kithil, M.; Langhans, M.; Rauh, O.; Cartolano, M.; Van Etten, J.L.; Moroni, A.; Thiel, G. Codon Bias Can Determine Sorting of a Potassium Channel Protein. Cells 2021, 10, 1128. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/cells10051128

Comments

CC-BY

Abstract

Due to the redundancy of the genetic code most amino acids are encoded by multiple synonymous codons. It has been proposed that a biased frequency of synonymous codons can affect the function of proteins by modulating distinct steps in transcription, translation and folding. Here, we use two similar prototype K⁺ channels as model systems to examine whether codon choice has an impact on protein sorting. By monitoring transient expression of GFP-tagged channels in mammalian cells, we find that one of the two channels is sorted in a codon and cell cycle-dependent manner either to mitochondria or the secretory pathway. The data establish that a gene with either rare or frequent codons serves, together with a cell-state-dependent decoding mechanism, as a secondary code for sorting intracellular membrane proteins.