Translational control is the regulation of protein production through changes in the rate or selectivity with which messenger RNAs are translated into polypeptides. Regulation frequently acts at the initiation stage by altering the recruitment, activity, or availability of translation factors and ribosomal complexes [1]. Nutrient, energy, and growth signals modify translation through signaling pathways such as mTOR, which changes the activity of proteins that control initiation and can bias translation toward particular transcripts [2][3]. Messenger-RNA leader sequences organize transcript-specific regulation: secondary structures, upstream open reading frames, and recognition elements affect ribosomal scanning and start-codon selection [4]. RNA-binding proteins and associated regulatory components can restrict or permit translation of particular transcripts in specific cellular locations or states [5]. Through these mechanisms, translational control alters either overall protein synthesis or the relative contribution of individual messenger RNAs to the cellular protein population [1].
- translation initiation
- mRNA regulation
- protein expression
- ribosome availability
RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms·Molecular Biology·Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology·Life Sciences
References
- Nahum Sonenberg; Alan G. Hinnebusch; Regulation of Translation Initiation in Eukaryotes: Mechanisms and Biological Targets. Cell 2009, 136, 731-745. [CrossRef]
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- Xiaoju Max Ma; John Blenis; Molecular Mechanisms of mTOR-mediated Translational Control. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 2009, 10, 307-318. [CrossRef]
- Thomas E. Dever; Ivaylo P. Ivanov; Alan G. Hinnebusch; Translational Regulation by uORFs and Start Codon Selection Stringency. Genes Dev. 2023, 37, 474-489. [CrossRef]
- Elizaveta Razumova; Aleksandr Makariuk; Olga Dontsova; Nikita Shepelev; Maria Rubtsova; Structural Features of 5′ Untranslated Region in Translational Control of Eukaryotes. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 1979. [CrossRef]