In this paper, we describe further analysis of the BM2 TURBS. In contrast to the caliciviral TURBS, which contain stretches of non-essential bases between motifs 1 and 2, all of the BM2 TURBS appears to be required for function perhaps due to its shorter length, with sequence-specific and sequence-independent elements. Evidence is provided, from oligonucleotide targeting and from expression studies in yeast cells, to support the hypothesis that BM2 motif 1 interacts directly with helix 26 of 18S rRNA, consistent with a tethering role. We also provide evidence that a close spacing between the M1 stop and BM2 start codons is not critical; rather, there is dependence upon the distance between the terminating ribosome and the TURBS. Indeed, the ribosome is able to locate start codons placed some distance downstream of the wild-type position if termination occurs at the normal distance relative to the TURBS. The role of RNA secondary structure in TURBS function was also investigated by mutagenesis, but the experiments gave only limited support for the predicted secondary structures. However, the capacity of eIF3 to stimulate terminationreinitiation, particularly from a defective TURBS, was confirmed, including a TURBS rendered defective through a point mutation in motif 1. Together, these data support the view that efficient termination-reinitiation requires both mRNA-rRNA interactions and the participation of eIF3.