Cell division, differentiation and function are largely dependent on accurate proteome composition and regulated gene expression. To control this, protein synthesis is an intricate process governed by upstream signalling pathways. Eukaryotic translation is a multistep process and can be separated into four distinct phases: initiation, elongation, termination and recycling of ribosomal subunits. Translation initiation, the focus of this article, is highly regulated to control the activity and/or function of eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) and permit recruitment of mRNAs to the ribosomes. In this Cell Science at a Glance and accompanying poster, we outline the mechanisms by which tumour cells alter the process of translation initiation and discuss how this benefits tumour formation, proliferation and metastasis.

细胞分裂、分化和功能在很大程度上取决于准确的蛋白质组组成和受调控的基因表达。为了控制这一点，蛋白质合成是一个受上游信号通路控制的复杂过程。真核翻译是一个多步骤过程，可分为四个不同的阶段：核糖体亚基的起始、延伸、终止和再循环。翻译起始是本文的重点，它受到高度调控，以控制真核起始因子 (eIF) 的活性和/或功能，并允许 mRNA 募集至核糖体。在这篇《细胞科学概览》和随附的海报中，我们概述了肿瘤细胞改变翻译起始过程的机制，并讨论了这如何有利于肿瘤的形成、增殖和转移。