InterPro domain: IPR005874

Cells have evolved elaborate mechanisms to rid themselves of aberrant proteins and transcripts. The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway (NMD) is an example of a pathway that eliminates aberrant mRNAs. In addition to its role in recognition of the AUG codon during translation initiation and maintenance of the appropriate reading frame during translation elongation by directing the ribosome to the proper start site of translation by functioning in concert with eIF-2 and the initiator tRNA-Met, the SUI1 protein plays a role in the NMD pathway [ 1 ].

eIF1/SUI1 (eukaryotic initiation factor 1) plays an important role in accurate initiator codon recognition during translation initiation. eIF1 interacts with 18S rRNA in the 40S ribosomal subunit during eukaryotic translation initiation. Point mutations in the yeast eIF1 implicate the protein in maintaining accurate start-site selection but its mechanism of action is unknown [ 2 ].

1. Mutations in the MOF2/SUI1 gene affect both translation and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. RNA 5, 794-804
2. The Mof2/Sui1 protein is a general monitor of translational accuracy. Mol. Cell. Biol. 18, 1506-16