The mechanism of mRNA cap recognition.

ABSTRACT: During translation initiation, mRNA molecules must be identified and activated for loading into a ribosome^1-3. In this rate-limiting step, the heterotrimeric protein eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4F must recognize and productively interact with the 7-methylguanosine cap at the 5' end of the mRNA and subsequently activate the message^1-3. Despite its fundamental, regulatory role in gene expression, the molecular events underlying cap recognition and mRNA activation remain unclear³. Here we generate a single-molecule fluorescence imaging system to examine the dynamics with which eIF4F discriminates productive and non-productive locations on full-length, native mRNA molecules. At the single-molecule level, we observe stochastic sampling of eIF4F along the len

SUBMITTER: Gentry RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12704497 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature