SFPQ promotes RAS-mutant cancer cell growth by modulating 5'-UTR mediated translational control of CK1α.

Oncogenic mutations in the RAS family of small GTPases are commonly found in human cancers and they promote tumorigenesis by altering gene expression networks. We previously demonstrated that Casein Kinase 1α (CK1α), a member of the CK1 family of serine/threonine kinases, is post-transcriptionally upregulated by oncogenic RAS signaling. Here, we report that the CK1α mRNA contains an exceptionally long 5'-untranslated region (UTR) harbouring several translational control elements, implicating its involvement in translational regulation.