Eyes on Translation

• Published in: Molecular cell Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 918 - 925
• Main Authors: Chekulaeva, Marina, Landthaler, Markus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.09.2016
• Subjects: Cell Line, Tumor; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; fluorescent protein; Humans; imaging; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Molecular Imaging - methods; mRNA localization; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Ribosomes - drug effects; Ribosomes - genetics; Ribosomes - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sequence Analysis, RNA; single cell; single molecule; Single-Cell Analysis - methods; Staining and Labeling - methods; translation; mRNA localization; single molecule; translation; fluorescent protein; single cell; imaging
• ISSN: 1097-2765; 1097-4164
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.08.031

Translation is a fundamental biological process by which ribosomes decode genetic information into proteins. The regulation of this process plays a key role in tuning protein levels, allowing cells to respond rapidly to changes in the environment and to synthesize proteins with precise timing and at specific subcellular locations. Despite detailed biochemical and structural insight into the mechanism of protein synthesis, translational dynamics and localization in a cellular context are less well understood. Here, we summarize recent efforts to quantify and visualize translation, focusing on four publications (Morisaki et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2016; Wu et al., 2016; Yan et al., 2016) describing novel approaches to imaging in real time the synthesis of nascent peptides from individual mRNAs in living cells. Translation is a key step of gene expression, regulated via multiple mechanisms. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Chekulaeva and Landthaler review recent advances in quantification and visualization of translation, focusing on novel imaging approaches to studying translation dynamics of single mRNAs in live cells.