Method and polynucleotides for determining translational efficiency of a codon

1. A method for determining the translational efficiency of an individual codon in a first cell type of a multicellular organism or a cell line derived from the first cell type, the method comprising: introducing into a first cell of the first cell type a synthetic construct comprising a reporter polynucleotide fused in frame with a tandem repeat of the individual codon, wherein the reporter polynucleotide encodes a reporter protein, and wherein the synthetic construct is operably linked to a regulatory polynucleotide that is operable in the first cell type; and measuring expression of the reporter protein in the first cell of the first cell type to determine the translational efficiency of the individual codon.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: comparing expression of the reporter protein in the first cell to which a synthetic construct comprising a tandem repeat of the individual codon was provided; and expression of the reporter protein in a second cell of the first cell type to which a synthetic construct comprising a tandem repeat of another individual codon was provided; to thereby determine the translational efficiency of the individual codon relative to the translational efficiency of the other individual codon in the first cell type.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: comparing expression of the reporter protein in the first cell to which a synthetic construct comprising a tandem repeat of the individual codon was provided; and expression of the reporter protein in a cell of a second cell type to which a synthetic construct comprising a tandem repeat of the individual codon was provided; to thereby determine the translational efficiency of the individual codon in the first cell type relative to the second cell type.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tandem repeat comprises at least three copies of the codon.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tandem repeat comprises five copies of the codon.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tandem repeat comprises six copies of the codon.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tandem repeat comprises seven copies of the codon.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tandem repeat is fused at a location adjacent to, or within, the reporter polynucleotide.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tandem is fused immediately upstream of the reporter polynucleotide.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one spacer codon is located adjacent to a tandemly repeated codon.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the spacer codon encodes a neutral amino acid.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the spacer codon encodes an amino acid selected from the group consisting of alanine and glycine.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one spacer codon is interposed between a pair of tandemly repeated codons.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the spacer codon is encodes a neutral amino acid.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the spacer codon is encodes an amino acid selected from the group consisting of alanine and glycine.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reporter protein is selected from the group consisting of β-galactosidase, firefly luciferase, alkaline phosphatase, chloramphenicol acetyl transferase, β-glucuronidase, green fluorescence protein and active portions thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reporter protein is encoded by a bialophos resistance gene that confers resistance to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reporter protein is green fluorescence protein or an active portion thereof.