Publications
19 October 2026
Global and specific mechanisms stimulate mistranslation in cancer
Tryptophan depletion in cancer cells can lead to mistranslation, resulting in the production of altered proteins without changes to the underlying mRNA sequence. Here, we identify two key regulators of this process, ADAR1 and FTSJ1, which promote mistranslation through distinct mechanisms. ADAR1 supports ribosome-associated quality control, while FTSJ1 modifies tryptophan tRNA (tRNA^Trp), promoting the incorporation of phenylalanine instead of tryptophan during protein synthesis. Using genetic screening, proteomics and tRNA sequencing, the study reveals how cancer cells regulate translational errors under conditions of limited tryptophan availability. IMMAGINA Biotechnology contributed to the study through nano-tRNA-seq sample preparation, tRNA quality control, library preparation and Nanopore sequencing. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying mistranslation in cancer.