Lost in translation: regulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis

Skeletal muscle accounts for about 50% of the body's mass in higher vertebrates. Besides its obvious role in motor activity, it also can serve as a reservoir for amino acids during times of starvation, or even as a metabolic water supply for migratory birds' during long flights. An imbalance between anabolic and catabolic processes can lead to the loss of muscle mass and life-threatening cachexia or sarcopenia. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about the regulation of protein translation in skeletal muscle; it also discusses the role of the mTOR pathway, as well as new findings about the influence of specific miRNAs on protein expression in skeletal muscle.