Four-base codon-mediated incorporation of nonnatural amino acids into proteins in a eukaryotic cell-free translation system

Various four-base codons have been shown to work for the introduction of nonnatural amino acids into proteins in an Escherichia coli cell-free translation system. Here, a four-base codon-mediated nonnatural mutagenesis was applied to a eukaryotic rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system. Mutated streptavidin mRNAs containing four-base codons were prepared and added to a rabbit reticulocyte lysate in the presence of tRNAs that were aminoacylated with a nonnatural amino acid and had the corresponding four-base anticodons. A Western blot analysis of translation products indicated that the four-base codons CGGU, CGCU, CCCU, CUCU, CUAU, and GGGU were efficiently decoded by the aminoacyl-tRNAs having the corresponding four-base anticodons. In contrast, the four-base codons AGGU, AGAU, CGAU, UUGU, UCGU, and ACGU were not decoded. The stop codon-derived four-base codons UAGU, UAAU, and UGAU were found to be inefficient, whereas the amber codon UAG and opal codon UGA were efficient for the incorporation of nonnatural amino acids. The application of the expanded genetic code in a eukaryotic cell-free system opens the possibility of a four-base codon-mediated incorporation of nonnatural amino acids into proteins in living eukaryotic cells.