frameshiftinducing

Frameshiftinducing is an adjective used in genetics and molecular biology to describe processes, sequences, or agents that cause a frameshift in the information encoded by a nucleic acid. A frameshift occurs when the reading frame of nucleotides is altered, typically by the insertion or deletion of nucleotides not in multiples of three, changing downstream codons and often yielding premature stop signals.

In genomic mutagenesis, frameshift-inducing agents or mutagens promote insertions or deletions during DNA replication or repair. Spontaneous frameshifts can arise from replication slippage in repetitive regions; exposure to certain chemicals or radiation can increase frameshift frequency. Such events often produce truncated or nonfunctional proteins and can contribute to disease or variation.

In translation, frameshift-inducing elements include programmed ribosomal frameshifting signals, such as slippery heptanucleotide sequences combined with downstream RNA structures like pseudoknots or stem-loops that stall the ribosome and promote -1 frameshifting. This mechanism is used by various viruses, including HIV-1 and some coronaviruses, to regulate the production ratio of overlapping reading frame–encoded proteins. Some cellular genes also harness frameshifting for expression control.

Detection and study of frameshift events employ sequencing, mutagenesis assays, and frameshift reporter constructs to measure efficiency. Consequences range from disruptive loss of function to the generation of novel protein products, and frameshifting plays a notable role in molecular biology, virology, and biotechnology. While the term frameshiftinducing is not a single standardized term, it is commonly used to describe factors that trigger frameshifts in either DNA replication or translation.