Overview
- Researchers at Scripps Research and UC San Diego report the first single-cell translatome map of the mouse hippocampus in Nature on February 18, 2026.
- Ribo-STAMP fuses an RNA-editing enzyme to ribosomes so translated RNAs acquire identifiable nucleotide changes that are read by standard RNA sequencing.
- Analysis of pyramidal neurons shows CA3 cells translate proteins at much higher rates than CA1 cells, indicating previously unrecognized differences within memory circuits.
- Individual neurons occupy distinct high and low translation states, with high-translation cells enriched for proteins tied to synaptic communication and energy production.
- Isoform-specific patterns reveal that transcripts with longer regulatory regions are more actively translated, and the authors suggest the approach could help test translation defects in conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex.