Four short upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in the mRNA leader are required for the translational control of GCN4 expression in response to amino acid availability. Data are reviewed demonstrating that the fourth (3' proximal) uORF is sufficient to establish the repressed levels of GCN4 expression, while the first uORF functions as a positive regulatory element under starvation conditions to stimulate GCN4 translation. Furthermore, positive and negative trans-acting regulatory factors, the activities of which appear to be modulated according to amino acid availability, exert their effects on GCN4 expression through the uORFs. Direct comparison of the uORFs indicates that there are important nucleotide sequence differences between uORF1 and 4, and that these are located primarily around the termination codons of these elements. Recent findings suggest that the sequences that mediate repression of GCN4 expression are complex, but can be overcome under starvation conditions by ribosomes that have previously translated uORF1.