Reinitiation and recycling are distinct processes occurring downstream of translation termination in yeast.

The circularisation model of the polysome suggests that ribosome recycling is facilitated by 5'-3' interactions mediated by the cap-binding complex eIF4F and the poly(A)-binding protein, Pab1. Alternatively, downstream of a short upstream open reading frame (uORF) in the 5' untranslated region of a gene, posttermination ribosomes can maintain the competence to (re)initiate translation. Our data show that recycling and reinitiation must be distinct processes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Modulation of eukaryotic mRNA stability via the cap-binding translation complex eIF4F.

Decapping by Dcp1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a key step in mRNA degradation. However, the cap also binds the eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) complex 4F and its associated proteins. Characterisation of the relationship between decapping and interactions involving eIF4F is an essential step towards understanding polysome disassembly and mRNA decay.