Amino Acid Regulation of Gene Expression

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 131; no. 9; pp. 2460S - 2466S
• Main Authors: Jefferson, Leonard S., Kimball, Scot R.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.09.2001; American Society for Nutritional Sciences; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Amino acids; Amino Acids - physiology; Amino Acids, Essential - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Cells; Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2B - metabolism; Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4F; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Guanine Nucleotides - metabolism; Humans; leucine; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; Nitrogen metabolism. Proteins. Glycoproteins. Nucleic acids. Collagen; Peptide Initiation Factors - metabolism; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; translation initiation; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; leucine; eIF; PEK/PERK; signal transduction; EGF; translation initiation; CK; mGCN2; NGF; ER; BP; TOP; PKR; met-tRNAi; mTOR; MAP; GSK; HRI; ERK; Signal transduction; Regulation(control); Aminoacid; Translation initiation; Review; Leucine; Gene expression; Macronutrient
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/131.9.2460S

Regulation of gene expression by amino acids is mediated through a number of mechanisms affecting both the transcription of DNA and the translation of mRNA. This report reviews recent findings demonstrating a role for amino acids in regulating the initiation phase of mRNA translation. The report focuses on key regulatory events in translation initiation and discusses some of the signaling pathways through which amino acid sufficiency or the lack thereof is communicated within the cell. It concludes with a consideration of some of the important unanswered questions in this rapidly advancing area of research.