Translational reprogramming during epithelial-mesenchymal transition is associated with fine-tuning of ribosome composition

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is driven by transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming. However, it is now well established that the final step of gene expression, translation, is also key to the establishment of physiopathological phenotypes, and one of its regulators is the ribosomes themselves. Using genome-wide analyses, we report on how the translational landscape evolves and how the translational machinery rearranges itself during EMT. Ribosome profiling revealed that translation was as profoundly modulated as transcription during EMT. In addition, riboproteomics revealed an increased proportion of RPL36A-containing ribosomal particles in mesenchymal cells, indicating that ribosome composition is finely tuned during EMT. Finally, RPL36A, but not RPL19, is sufficient to induce the acquisition of mesenchymal features. Taken together, these data demonstrate that EMT is associated with both a profound translational reprogramming and changes in ribosome composition, and that a single change in ribosomal protein is sufficient to drive EMT.