Versatility of the translational machinery during stress: changing partners to keep dancing

摘要

Cap-dependent translation is initiated by the binding of eIF4E to the cap structure at the 5′ end of mRNAs. During hypoxic stress, global translation decreases because eIF4E is inactivated. In a recent article in Nature, Lee and colleagues show that residual hypoxic translation is maintained by a specialized isoform of eIF4E, which binds to target mRNAs in complex with a hypoxia-induced RNP.