Stem cells are characterized by their ability to self-renew and differentiate into many different cell types. Research has focused primarily on how these processes are regulated at a transcriptional level. However, recent studies have indicated that stem cell behaviour is strongly coupled to the regulation of protein synthesis by the ribosome. In this Review, we discuss how different translation mechanisms control the function of adult and embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are characterized by low global translation rates despite high levels of ribosome biogenesis. The maintenance of pluripotency, the commitment to a specific cell fate and the switch to cell differentiation depend on the tight regulation of protein synthesis and ribosome biogenesis. Translation regulatory mechanisms that impact on stem cell function include mTOR signalling, ribosome levels, and mRNA and tRNA features and amounts. Understanding these mechanisms important for stem cell self-renewal and differentiation may also guide our understanding of cancer grade and metastasis.

干细胞的特点是具有自我更新和分化成许多不同细胞类型的能力。研究主要集中在如何在转录水平上调节这些过程。然而，最近的研究表明干细胞行为与核糖体蛋白质合成的调节密切相关。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了不同的翻译机制如何控制成体和胚胎干细胞的功能。尽管核糖体生物合成水平较高，但干细胞的特点是整体翻译率较低。多能性的维持、对特定细胞命运的承诺以及细胞分化的转变取决于蛋白质合成和核糖体生物发生的严格调节。影响干细胞功能的翻译调控机制包括 mTOR 信号传导、核糖体水平以及 mRNA 和 tRNA 特征和数量。了解这些对于干细胞自我更新和分化很重要的机制也可以指导我们对癌症分级和转移的理解。