Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42725432›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2026

Altered neuronal start codon stringency favors cap-independent repeat-associated non-AUG translation.

Clare M Wieland, Shannon E Wright, Sydney Willey, Ishita Purwar, Samantha J Grudzien, Amy Krans, Erinn L Laimon, Melissa J Asher, Adrian M Isaacs, Amanda L Garner and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Clare M WielandDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Shannon E WrightDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Sydney WilleyDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.ORCID 0009-0005-4263-7848
Ishita PurwarDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Samantha J GrudzienDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Amy KransDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Erinn L LaimonDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Melissa J AsherDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Adrian M IsaacsUK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, NW1 3BT, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-6820-5534
Amanda L GarnerDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Peter K ToddDepartment of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-4781-6376

Funding

The FMR1 CGG repeat as functional element and therapeutic target in Fragile X associated disordersP50HD104463 · NICHD · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI TODD, PETER K · 2020 to 2024
$9.0M
Hexanucleotide repeat translation in ALS and Frontotemporal DementiaR01NS099280 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Peter K Todd · 2016 to 2026
$4.9M
CGG repeat associated translation in Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome-Diversity SupplementR01NS086810 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI TODD, PETER K · 2014 to 2024
$4.1M
Training Program in Translational ResearchT32GM141840 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI ANDREW P LIEBERMAN, Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska · 2021 to 2026
$2.0M
Chemical Biology Approaches for Investigating RNA-Protein InteractionsR35GM153185 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Amanda Garner · 2024 to 2026
$1.6M
CGG repeat associated translation in Fragile X gene function and diseaseF31NS113513 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI WRIGHT, SHANNON · 2020 to 2022
$84k
BLRD VA I01 BX004842BLRD VA I01BX004842-04NGPNICHD NIH HHS P50 HD104463NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM153185NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM141840NIH HHS F31NS113513NIH HHS P50HD104463NIH HHS R01NS086810NIH HHS R01NS099280NIH HHS R35 GM153185NIH HHS T32 GM141840NINDS NIH HHS F31 NS113513NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS086810NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS099280UM MSTP
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intronic GGGGCC repeat expansions in C9orf72 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This expansion supports a non-canonical form of translational initiation known as repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation to produce toxic dipeptide repeat proteins that contribute to neurodegeneration. Here, we find that the efficiency of RAN translation and its dependency on the 5' 7-methylguanosine mRNA cap are variable across cell types, with both rodent neurons and human iNeurons favoring cap-independent RAN translation from two distinct repeats (CGG and GGGGCC) across multiple reading frames. Treatment with an eIF4E inhibitor that blocks cap-dependent translation enhances RAN translation specifically in neurons. Intriguingly, cap-independent RAN translation exhibits less reliance on near-cognate codons for initiation than cap-dependent RAN translation. This finding led us to identify a surprising global alteration in neuronal start codon stringency as a contributor to the relatively higher cap-independent RAN translation in this cell type. This effect correlates with cytoplasmic redistribution of eIF1 in neurons and is reversed with overexpression of the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF5, which relaxes start codon stringency and preferentially enhances cap-dependent RAN translation. Together, these findings reveal several neuron-specific features of translational regulation that favor cap-independent RAN translation with implications for nucleotide repeat expansion disorder pathogenesis.

Indexed as

Codon, InitiatorNeuronsPeptide Chain Initiation, TranslationalProtein BiosynthesisAnimalsC9orf72 ProteinDNA Repeat ExpansionEukaryotic Initiation Factor-4EGuanosineHumansRNA CapsRNA, MessengerC9orf72 ProteinC9orf72 protein, humanCodon, InitiatorEukaryotic Initiation Factor-4EGuanosineRNA CapsRNA, Messenger

Identifiers

PMID42725432
PMCPMC13563098

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.