Preface/Front Matter

Abstract

The major reason for the publication of a second edition of Translational Control, under the augmented title Translational Control of Gene Expression, is the remarkable progress that has been made in the field in the past five years, since the appearance of the first edition. During this time there has been a new wave of interest in protein synthesis, which is abundantly reflected in the many different chapters of this book. There has been excellent progress in understanding the mechanisms of initiation, elongation, and termination of translation; the mechanisms of translational control during development, in response to extracellular stimuli (including signal transduction pathways that control translation rates); and how the translational machinery is affected during virus infection and in disease. The idea that translational control plays a larger role than generally appreciated is further bolstered by recent studies using genomics and proteomics techniques, which show a large discrepancy between mRNA and protein levels in cells.

The first edition of Translational Control was well received by translation researchers and by the scientific community at large. Reviews of the book were very favorable and chapters have been widely cited. In fact, there were two hardcover printings, and after the second printing ran out, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press decided to publish the book in a paper cover format. Then, John Inglis from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press approached us at the CSH Translational Control Meeting in 1998 and requested that we prepare a second edition of this treatise. Somewhat reluctantly, recalling all