Control of cytoplasmic translation in plants

Translational control provides cells with a mechanism to rapidly control gene expression in a reversible manner in response to environmental and developmental cues. It involves the dynamic, coordinated activity of numerous factors that direct the synthesis of proteins with precision in space and time. Translational control is primarily regulated at the level of initiation, and as such, mechanisms that regulate translation most often target the initiation machinery. Translation in plants is fundamentally similar to that of other eukaryotes. However, there are significant differences in translation factor isoforms and their associated proteins, and the types of regulation that can act upon these factors. Regulation of translation in plants can involve protein phosphorylation, variable associations of initiation factor isoforms, RNA sequence element interactions, and small RNAs. The assembly of large mRNA-ribonucleoprotein complexes, called processing bodies and stress granules, also influences the translatability of an mRNA. mRNA-cytoskeleton interactions, as well as subcellular and intercellular transport of mRNAs, also appear to regulate translation in plants. Often working together, these control mechanisms finely tune translational expression within the cell.