Regulation of Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells by Hormones and Nutrients

The laboratory has a longstanding interest in gaining an understanding of the regulation of protein synthesis in tissues such as liver, heart, and skeletal muscle. They were the first to demonstrate that acute changes in protein synthesis were mediated in large part through the regulation of the initiation phase of mRNA translation. They then proceeded to clone, express, and characterize the function and regulation of many of the twelve known initiation factors, many of which themselves are multi-subunit proteins. The knowledge gained through these efforts then led to an investigation of the signaling pathways through which regulatory agents act to mediate changes in mRNA translation. From these efforts, the concept has emerged that regulation does not simply involve increased or decreased translation of bulk mRNA, but rather a selection process that determines whether or not a given mRNA will be translated in a particular situation. Elucidation of the mechanisms involved in this selection process is now recognized to be key to understanding the regulation of gene expression in general.