Unconventional translation in cancer

Translation of RNA into proteins is a fundamental process for all cells. Analysis of a mouse model of skin cancer uncovers an atypical RNA-translation program that has a vital role in tumour formation. See Article p.494 Elaine Fuchs and colleagues uncover a role for the translation of upstream open reading frames (uORFs)—gene-expression regulatory elements present in many messenger RNAs—in skin tumour models. This oncogene-driven shift in translation shields some pro-tumorigenic mRNAs from global reductions in protein synthesis during the early stages of tumorigenesis, suggesting that tumour drivers may use uORF translation to enact oncogenic transformation.