Genome-Wide Profiling of Alternative Translation Initiation Sites

Regulation of translation initiation is a central control point in protein synthesis. Variations of start codon selection contribute to protein diversity and complexity. Systemic mapping of start codon positions and precise measurement of the corresponding initiation rate would transform our understanding of translational control. Here we describe a ribosome profiling approach that enables identification of translation initiation sites on a genome-wide scale. By capturing initiating ribosomes using lactimidomycin, this approach permits qualitative and quantitative analysis of alternative translation initiation.