Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
Subscribe

Logo for

Science 331 (6017): 543-544

Copyright © 2011 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

A Translational Pause to Localize

David Ron1, and Koreaki Ito2

The unconventional splicing of a messenger RNA (mRNA) is key to a mechanism that controls the cellular response to unfolded proteins that accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Mammalian cells attempt to counterbalance this state of stress by expressing specific genes through the transcription factor XBP1 (1). The synthesis of this transcription factor requires splicing to generate its encoding mRNA, a process that occurs at the cytoplasmic face of the ER membrane. On page 586 of this issue (2), Yanagitani et al. reveal how translational pausing of the mRNA to be spliced contributes to this localization. The finding reveals surprising similarities in mechanisms regulating translation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes.

1 Institute of Metabolic Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
2 Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan.

E-mail: dr360{at}medschl.cam.ac.uk; kito{at}cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
New Insights into Translational Regulation in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Unfolded Protein Response.
G. D. Pavitt and D. Ron (2012)
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 4, a012278
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882