Tracking factor footprints to reveal the intricacy and control of translation initiation

Messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNA) act as templates for protein synthesis by ribosomes. Much like the DNA of genes, eukaryotic mRNA molecules do not exist as 'naked' nucleic acid. They interact with RNA-binding proteins, ribosomes and translation factors, and adopt dynamic structures that determine the precise outcome of translation. Control at this post-transcriptional level makes major contributions to gene regulation. We will combine deep-sequencing technology with isolation of polyribosomal complexes from living cells, to generate transcriptome-wide snapshots of the distribution of translation complexes along mRNAs. Such systems-level data will allow unprecedented insight into the mechanism, dynamics and regulation of protein synthesis.