The control of translational accuracy is a determinant of healthy ageing in yeast.

Life requires the maintenance of molecular function in the face of stochastic processes that tend to adversely affect macromolecular integrity. This is particularly relevant during ageing, as many cellular functions decline with age, including growth, mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. Protein synthesis must deliver functional proteins at all times, implying that the effects of protein synthesis errors like amino acid misincorporation and stop-codon read-through must be minimized during ageing.

Inappropriate expression of the translation elongation factor 1A disrupts genome stability and metabolism.

The translation elongation factor eEF1A is one of the most abundant proteins found within cells, and its role within protein synthesis is well documented. Levels of eEF1A are tightly controlled, with inappropriate expression linked to oncogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which increased eEF1A expression alters cell behaviour are unknown.

New links between SOD1 and metabolic dysfunction from a yeast model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

A number of genes have been linked to familial forms of the fatal motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Over 150 mutations within the gene encoding superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) have been implicated in ALS, but why such mutations lead to ALS-associated cellular dysfunction is unclear. In this study, we identify how ALS-linked SOD1 mutations lead to changes in the cellular health of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae We find that it is not the accumulation of aggregates but the loss of Sod1 protein stability that drives cellular dysfunction.

Candida albicans repetitive elements display epigenetic diversity and plasticity.

Transcriptionally silent heterochromatin is associated with repetitive DNA. It is poorly understood whether and how heterochromatin differs between different organisms and whether its structure can be remodelled in response to environmental signals. Here, we address this question by analysing the chromatin state associated with DNA repeats in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans.

Synonymous codons, ribosome speed, and eukaryotic gene expression regulation.

Quantitative control of gene expression occurs at multiple levels, including the level of translation. Within the overall process of translation, most identified regulatory processes impinge on the initiation phase. However, recent studies have revealed that the elongation phase can also regulate translation if elongation and initiation occur with specific, not mutually compatible rate parameters.