From Translation to Treatment

Abstract

Protein synthesis (mRNA translation) plays a crucial role in cell function by shaping the proteome –making all the proteins each cell requires at the right time and in the right quantities and places. Proteins carry out almost every job in the cell. Protein synthesis is also a major component of the cellular economy, using large amounts of metabolic energy and resources, especially amino acids. Accordingly, it is tightly regulated through diverse mechanisms which respond, for example, to nutrients, growth factors, hormones, neurotransmitters and stressful situations.