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Polysome Fractionation and Analysis of Mammalian Translatomes on a Genome-wide Scale
10:56

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Published on: May 17, 2014

Postgenomic global analysis of translational control induced by oncogenic signaling

Vinagolu K Rajasekhar1, Eric C Holland

  • 1Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery), Neurology, Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA. vinagolr@mskcc.org

Oncogene
|April 20, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Cellular signaling impacts protein production by altering mRNA translation efficiency, not just transcription. This rapid, specific control affects growth and development, with implications for cancer research.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Developmental and oncogenic signaling are traditionally thought to primarily alter cell phenotypes by directly regulating transcription.
  • Emerging evidence suggests translational efficiency of existing mRNAs plays a significant, potentially overshadowing, role.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of translational efficiency in cellular signaling pathways.
  • To determine if translational control is a primary mechanism for developmental and oncogenic responses.

Main Methods:

  • Global analysis of mRNA expression using microarrays.
  • Assessment of translational efficiency changes in response to stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Differential regulation of translational efficiency provides a specific, robust, and rapid response mechanism.
  • Affected mRNAs encode proteins involved in cell-cell interaction, signal transduction, and growth control.
  • Many transcription factors are also regulated at the translational level.

Conclusions:

  • Translational control is a significant mechanism for rapid cellular responses to developmental and oncogenic stimuli.
  • This mechanism impacts key cellular processes including growth and signaling.
  • The precise necessity and sufficiency of translational control in tumor formation require further investigation.

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