Lysis gene expression of RNA phage MS2 depends on a frameshift during translation of the overlapping coat protein gene.

Translation of the lysis cistron of MS2 RNA requires a frameshift of ribosomes reading the upstream coat protein mRNA. The out-of-phase fraction of ribosomes terminates at either one of two nonsense codons just preceding the lysis cistron. Termination is followed by initiation at the start codon of the lysis protein message.