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Research Focus

Translational control of gene expression

Gene expression underlies all cellular properties and depends on the ability of genomic DNA to be transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and translated into protein. However, for many genes, the presence of the mRNA does not insure protein production because of mechanisms that affect its translation. Work in our laboratory is focused on understanding the basic mechanisms by which ribosomes, the translation machinery of the cell, initiate and regulate the translation of cellular mRNAs. In earlier studies, we showed that segments of some mRNAs could bind to particular sites on ribosomes and affect translation efficiency, initiation, and competition. A particular emphasis of our recent work has been on testing the notion that direct interactions between ribosomal subunits and mRNAs may be a basis for internal initiation of translation. This mechanism of initiating translation appears to be used by some viral and cellular mRNAs under conditions where the translation of most other mRNAs is blocked or inefficient, for example, during mitosis, near synapses in neurons, and under conditions of mild hypothermia.

Education

Ph.D., McGill University, 1987

Selected References

Burman, L.B. and Mauro, V.P. (2012) Analysis of rRNA processing and translation in mammalian cells using a synthetic 18S rRNA expression system. Nucl. Acid Res. 40(16):8085-98

Matsuda, D. and Mauro, V. P.  (2010) Determinants of initiation codon selection during translation in mammalian cells. PLoS One 5(11): e15057

Mauro, V.P., and Edelman, G.M. (2007) The ribosome filter redux. Cell cycle. 6(18):2246-51

Dresios, J., Chappell, S.A., Zhou, W., and Mauro, V.P. (2006) An mRNA:rRNA base-pairing mechanism for translation initiation in eukaryotes. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 13(1):30-4

Chappell, S.A., Edelman, G.M., and Mauro, V.P. (2006) Ribosomal tethering and clustering as mechanisms for translation initiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 103(48):18077-82