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Review
. 2019 Jan 15:9:709.
doi: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00709. eCollection 2018.

Translational Control in Stem Cells

Soroush Tahmasebi  1 , Mehdi Amiri  2   3 , Nahum Sonenberg  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Translational Control in Stem Cells

Soroush Tahmasebi et al. Front Genet. .

Abstract

Simultaneous measurements of mRNA and protein abundance and turnover in mammalian cells, have revealed that a significant portion of the cellular proteome is controlled by mRNA translation. Recent studies have demonstrated that both embryonic and somatic stem cells are dependent on low translation rates to maintain an undifferentiated state. Conversely, differentiation requires increased protein synthesis and failure to do so prevents differentiation. Notably, the low translation in stem cell populations is independent of the cell cycle, indicating that stem cells use unique strategies to decouple these fundamental cellular processes. In this chapter, we discuss different mechanisms used by stem cells to control translation, as well as the developmental consequences of translational deregulation.

Keywords: development; mRNA; protein synthesis; stem cell; translational control.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Translation inhibition is a hallmark of stem cells. The rate of protein synthesis in pluripotent ESCs (A) or iPSCs (B) and in multipotent adult stem cells (C–G) is lower compared to early differentiating cells or progenitors. Blue and red color defines low and high translation rates, respectively.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Underlying mechanisms of translation inhibition in stem cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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