Surveillance of amino acid levels by mTORC1 (23)

• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 201348542

Cells respond to stress by a general block of cap-dependent mRNA translation, in part via reduced TORC1 activity. A number of mRNAs escape this inhibition because they presumably encode for proteins required for stress response. In preliminary work, we have identified mRNAs that are resistant to the shut-down of canonical translation initiation. We propose to identify the sequence features on these mRNAs and the mRNA binding proteins that promote the non-canonical translation. Finally, we will study the cell-physiological relevance of these mRNAs under stress conditions.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1036: Cellular Surveillance and Damage Response
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Co-Applicant Institution: Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Aurelio A. Teleman