Abstract
Translation of mRNA is an important process that controls cell behavior and gene regulation because proteins are the functional molecules that determine cell types and function. Cancer develops as a result of genetic mutations, which lead to the production of abnormal proteins and the dysregulation of translation, which in turn, leads to aberrant protein synthesis. In addition, the machinery that is involved in protein synthesis plays critical roles in stem cell fate determination. In the current review, recent advances in the understanding of translational control, especially translational initiation in cancer development and stem cell fate control, are described. Therapeutic targets of mRNA translation such as eIF4E, 4EBP, and eIF2, for cancer treatment or stem cell fate regulation are reviewed. Upstream signaling pathways that regulate and affect translation initiation were introduced. It is important to regulate the expression of protein for normal cell behavior and development. mRNA translation initiation is a key step to regulate protein synthesis, therefore, identifying and targeting molecules that are critical for protein synthesis is necessary and beneficial to develop cancer therapeutics and stem cells fate regulation.
Highlights
A protein mediates the function of a gene
Recent emerging data suggest that the regulation of protein synthesis is related to cancer development and that the control of translation efficiency is important for the determination of stem cell fate [1,5,7,8]
3.2. mTOR Signals and Protein Synthesis. Another important pathway that regulates protein synthesis is the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway [32,33]. mTOR is a Ser/Thr kinase that mediates signal transduction downstream of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT or Ras/mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathways
Summary
Genetic information stored in DNA has to be transcribed into mRNA. The mRNA should be translated to generate proteins. The mRNA levels do not necessarily correlate with those of the protein [1,2,3,4]. There are multiple steps at which protein production is regulated, including transcriptional regulation, control of mRNA stability, translational regulation, and protein degradation [5,6]. Recent emerging data suggest that the regulation of protein synthesis is related to cancer development and that the control of translation efficiency is important for the determination of stem cell fate [1,5,7,8]. The current review focuses on the role of protein synthesis initiation on cell fate decision
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