Grant: Project Grant

Controlling the protein content within the cell is important for normal homeostasis and is often dysregulated in many cancers. Cancer cells often modify the protein content. Obviously, understanding protein content, particularly the regulation of factors that could act as effectors of the cancer phenotype, is important. Traditionally, it is thought that mutations or changes in the DNA code lead to the altered complement of proteins found in cancer cells. We study how changes in the protein complement can occur in the absence of these mutations. We found that a protein called eIF4E alters the protein complement by changing the chemical modifications to the RNA, the intermediary between DNA and protein. We identified novel specific chemical modifications that can modify how well the RNA can be converted into its active protein form. Here, we dissect the biochemical foundation for this novel activity and will study how it becomes dysregulated in cancer.