Cited by 52RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsRNA Research and SplicingRNA modifications and cancer

Predicting the translation efficiency of messenger RNA in mammalian cells

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Zheng, Dinghai, Persyn, Logan, Wang, Jun, Liu, Yue, Ulloa-Montoya, Fernando, Cenik, Can, Agarwal, Vikram·2026·Nature Biotechnology

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Abstract

The mechanisms by which mRNA sequences specify translational control remain poorly understood in mammalian cells. Here we generate a transcriptome-wide atlas of translation efficiency (TE) measurements encompassing more than 140 human and mouse cell types from 3,819 ribosomal profiling datasets. We develop RiboNN, a state-of-the-art multitask deep convolutional neural network, and classic machine learning models to predict TEs in hundreds of cell types from sequence-encoded mRNA features. While most earlier models solely considered the 5' untranslated region (UTR) sequence, RiboNN integrates how the spatial positioning of low-level dinucleotide and trinucleotide features (that is, including codons) influences TE, capturing mechanistic principles such as how ribosomal processivity and tRNA abundance control translational output. RiboNN predicts the translational behavior of base-modified therapeutic RNA and explains evolutionary selection pressures in human 5' UTRs. Finally, it detects a common language governing mRNA regulatory control and highlights the interconnectedness of mRNA translation, stability and localization in mammalian organisms.

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Authors
Zheng, D., Persyn, L., Wang, J., Liu, Y., Ulloa-Montoya, F., Cenik, C., & Agarwal, V.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
  • Sanofi (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
  • Cenik, Can
  • Agarwal, Vikram
Venue
Nature Biotechnology
Published
2025-07-25
Volume
44
Issue
5
Pages
783-796
ISSN
  • 0733-222X (ISSN-L)
  • 1087-0156
  • 1546-1696
OpenAlex
W4412707601
Cited by
52
References
129
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 1
FWCI
15.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Biotechnology (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM150667)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD110096)
  • Welch Foundation (F-2027-20230405)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA modifications and cancer
Keywords
translation efficiency, mRNA sequence, translational regulation, ribosome profiling, deep convolutional neural networks, 5' untranslated region, codon usage, tRNA abundance, mRNA stability, mRNA localization, cell type atlas

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