[eIF4E and developmental decisions: when translation drives the development].

Regulation of mRNA translation is an important regulatory step in gene expression. During embryonic development, mRNA translation is tightly regulated to produce the protein at the right place, at the right time. The eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a major target for the regulation of cap-dependent translation, that plays a key role during embryogenesis including gametogenesis, fertilization and establishment of embryonic axes. In this review, we describe recent advances illustrating the importance of the translational regulator eIF4E and its partners in developmental decisions. double dagger.