Protein Translation

Protein synthesis is a fundamental aspect of gene expression across kingdoms. The regulation of translation is important for many biological processes including cell fate determination, development, and growth and is especially crucial to maintain cellular homeostasis during cellular stress and virus infection. Misregulation of protein translation can contribute to diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this chapter, we highlight the basic understanding of eukaryotic translation and the major regulations that control biological events. We focus on signaling pathways that regulate overall protein synthesis and also mechanisms that control translation of specific mRNAs such as cis-acting elements within the 5’ and 3 untranslated regions (UTR). Understanding these mechanisms provide insights into the fundamental gene regulations that may provide new targets for combating disease and virus infections.