Dr. Sergey V. Slepenkov's Research Focus

Major Research Interests:
Assembly of protein synthesis initiation complex eIF4F. The role of eIF4E phosphorylation in initiation of translation.

Translation in eukaryotic cells is a complex, timely, and spatially organized process with many steps. Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is in the beginning of that process. Regulation of eIF4E activity is very important during the recruitment of capped mRNA and consequent assembly of 48S scanning complex. In higher animals eIF4E is phosphorylated by specific Mnk-kinase. How that phosphorylation influences eIF4E function is unknown. We are employing molecular biology and biophysical chemistry techniques in order to gain insight into the role of eIF4E phosphorylation in regulation of protein synthesis.