| Citation | Dr. Sonenberg studies the control of eukaryotic protein synthesis. He identified the mRNA 5' cap-binding protein, eIF4E, and described the mechanism and control of mRNA recruitment to ribosomes. He discovered the cap-independent, IRES (internal ribosome entry site) mechanism of translation initiation. He discovered the eIF4E binding proteins (4E-BPs), which are controlled by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. He also discovered that eIF4E is a proto-oncogene whose levels are elevated in cancers, and showed that 4E-BPs play critical roles in metabolism, learning and memory. Dr. Sonenberg also described an eIF4E homologous protein that plays a critical role in early development in Drosophila. |