Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2026

A Fluorescence-based Protocol for Preliminary Screening of Protein Synthesis Inhibitors from Natural Sources
10:24

A Fluorescence-based Protocol for Preliminary Screening of Protein Synthesis Inhibitors from Natural Sources

Published on: January 27, 2026

Regulation of translation and cancer

Eric C Holland1

  • 1Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery), New York, New York 10021, USA. hollande@mskcc.org

Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|February 21, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Oncogenic signaling alters messenger RNA (mRNA) translation, affecting proteins crucial for cell growth and interaction. This process, vital in development, may also drive cancer progression from normal cells.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Oncogenic signaling influences gene expression by altering messenger RNA (mRNA) recruitment to ribosomes.
  • Affected mRNAs frequently encode proteins regulating cell growth and cell-cell interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of differential mRNA translation in oncogenesis.
  • To explore the potential sufficiency of altered translation in inducing cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mRNA recruitment patterns to ribosomes under oncogenic signaling.
  • Identification of encoded proteins and their functions.

Main Results:

  • Oncogenic signaling leads to selective mRNA translation.
  • The affected proteins are involved in critical growth and cell interaction pathways.
  • This translational regulation mirrors processes observed in normal development.

Conclusions:

  • Differential mRNA translation is a key effect of oncogenic signaling.
  • The findings suggest a potential role for developmental translational mechanisms in cancer initiation.
  • Further research is needed to determine if this effect alone can cause cancer.

More Related Videos

Assessment of Selective mRNA Translation in Mammalian Cells by Polysome Profiling10:00

Assessment of Selective mRNA Translation in Mammalian Cells by Polysome Profiling

Published on: October 28, 2014

Polysome Fractionation and Analysis of Mammalian Translatomes on a Genome-wide Scale10:56

Polysome Fractionation and Analysis of Mammalian Translatomes on a Genome-wide Scale

Published on: May 17, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...
Translation01:31

Translation

Lesson: Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Translation01:31

Translation

Lesson: Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Translational Regulation01:29

Translational Regulation

Translational regulation in prokaryotes ensures efficient protein synthesis by controlling ribosome access to mRNA. This regulation is mediated by secondary RNA structures, including translational riboswitches, RNA thermometers, and small RNAs (sRNAs), which respond to intracellular and environmental signals to modulate gene expression.Translational RiboswitchesRiboswitches in the leader region of mRNAs can regulate translation by altering the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence,...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...