Translatomics

Translatomics

Translatomics is the study of the complete set of proteins that are being translated in a cell, tissue, or organism at a given time. This field of study is a subset of proteomics and focuses on understanding the dynamics of protein synthesis, which is crucial for comprehending cellular functions and responses to various stimuli.

Overview

Translatomics involves the analysis of the translatome, which refers to all the mRNAs that are actively being translated into proteins. This is distinct from the transcriptome, which includes all mRNA molecules present in a cell, regardless of whether they are being translated. By focusing on the translatome, researchers can gain insights into the regulation of gene expression at the level of translation.

Techniques

Several techniques are employed in translatomics to study protein synthesis:

• Ribosome profiling: This technique involves sequencing the fragments of mRNA that are protected by ribosomes during translation. It provides a snapshot of which mRNAs are being translated and at what rate.

• Polysome profiling: This method separates mRNAs based on the number of ribosomes bound to them, allowing researchers to determine the translation efficiency of different mRNAs.

• Mass spectrometry: Used to identify and quantify proteins, mass spectrometry can be combined with ribosome profiling to provide a comprehensive view of protein synthesis.

Important techniques used in translatomics.

Applications

Translatomics has a wide range of applications in biological research and medicine. It is used to study:

• Cellular responses to stress: By analyzing changes in the translatome, researchers can understand how cells respond to various stressors, such as heat shock or nutrient deprivation.

• Cancer research: Translatomics can reveal alterations in protein synthesis that occur in cancer cells, providing potential targets for therapy.

• Developmental biology: Understanding how protein synthesis is regulated during development can provide insights into the mechanisms of growth and differentiation.

Related pages

• Proteomics
• Transcriptomics
• Ribosome
• Gene expression

References

• Ingolia, N. T., et al. (2009). "Genome-wide analysis in vivo of translation with nucleotide resolution using ribosome profiling." Science, 324(5924), 218-223.
• Brar, G. A., & Weissman, J. S. (2015). "Ribosome profiling reveals the what, when, where, and how of protein synthesis." Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 16(11), 651-664.

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