A directed change in translational READING FRAMES that allows the production of a
single protein from two or more OVERLAPPING GENES. The process is programmed by the
nucleotide sequence of the MRNA and is sometimes also affected by the secondary or
tertiary mRNA structure. It has been described mainly in VIRUSES (especially RETROVIRUSES);
RETROTRANSPOSONS; and bacterial insertion elements but also in some cellular genes
Note générale sur le champ d'application :
do not confuse with FRAMESHIFT MUTATION, non-physiol insertion or deletion of coding
sequence nucleotides