Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases can promote or suppress cancer progression by regulating codon-dependent translation. A study now shows that valine aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (VARS) promotes therapeutic resistance of melanoma to MAPK pathway inhibitors by enhancing translation of valine-enriched genes, including the fatty acid oxidation gene HADH.
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Acknowledgements
Q.W. has been awarded National Institutes of Health grant NCI K00CA253719. S.F.T. is supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R35CA274446 and U54CA261701 and the Black Family Metastasis Center.
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S.F.T. is a cofounder, shareholder and member of the scientific advisory board of Inspirna. Q.W. declares no competing interests.
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Wu, Q., Tavazoie, S.F. Translational control by VARS in melanoma. Nat Cell Biol 26, 1023–1024 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-024-01430-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-024-01430-x
