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Cellular internal ribosome entry segments: structures, trans-acting factors and regulation of gene expression

Oncogene volume 23, pages 3200–3207 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Initiation of translation in eukaryotic cells can occur by two distinct mechanisms, cap-dependent scanning and internal ribosome entry. The latter mechanism requires the formation of a complex RNA structural element termed an internal ribosome entry segment (IRES). IRESs are located in the 5′ untranslated region of the message, and in the presence of trans-acting factors allow the ribosome to be recruited to a site that is a considerable distance from the cap structure. Many cellular mRNAs have now been shown to contain IRESs and it is likely that up to 10% of all mRNAs have the capability to initiate translation by this mechanism. The majority of IRESs that have been identified thus far are found in mRNAs whose protein products are associated with the control of cell growth and cell death, including many growth factors, proto-oncogenes and proteins required for apoptosis. In this review, we discuss the cellular situations when IRESs are required, the trans-acting factors that are necessary for IRES function and deregulation of IRES-mediated translation in tumorigenesis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mark Coldwell (Sussex University) for drawing Figure 1 and Becky Pickering (University of Leicester) for compiling the tables. AEW and MS are both funded by grants from the BBSRC (advanced fellowship for AEW and project grant for MS).

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, University Rd, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

    Mark Stoneley & Anne E Willis

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Correspondence to Mark Stoneley or Anne E Willis.

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Stoneley, M., Willis, A. Cellular internal ribosome entry segments: structures, trans-acting factors and regulation of gene expression. Oncogene 23, 3200–3207 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1207551

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