Stress granules: RNP-containing cytoplasmic bodies arising in stress: Structure and mechanism of organization

Abstract

The review considers recent data on stress granules, which are dense RNP-containing cytoplasmic bodies that arise under stress conditions, e.g., in heat shock, UV irradiation, energy depletion, and oxidative stress. There is evidence that stress granules accumulate incomplete initiation complexes containing mRNA associated with proteins, small ribosomal subunits, and some translation initiation factors, and that stress granules are formed when cells are depleted of the ternary complex (eIF2-tRNA^Met-GTP), in particular, upon eIF2A phosphorylation or a decrease in GTP. Large ribosomal subunits and the ternary complex are absent from stress granules. The structural basis of stress granules is known. It is probable, however, that RNA-binding protein TIA-1, which normally occurs in the nucleus, forms prion-like aggregates that serve as scaffolds for other components of stress granules. The cytoskeleton facilitates the accumulation of stress granule components in local cytoplasmic sites. Studies of the formation and composition of stress granules are important for a better understanding of the regulation of translation initiation in vivo and the mechanisms of the cell response to stress factors.