Gene expression requires strict modulations along mRNA synthesis, translation and decay. There are multiple elements that control translation, such as the Kozak initiation sequences, upstream open reading frames (uORFs), and intervening sequences called introns. Our previous results revealed an unexpected strong negative correlation between the protein levels and the number of introns in the mRNA leaders. We predict that when an intron is spliced out, this creates an exon-exon junction and recruits an exon junction complex (EJC) to the mRNA leader. As some EJC core components are known to enhance translation, the EJCs in the mRNA leaders may enhance uORF translation that in turn inhibit main ORF translation. This suggests a novel mechanism that links splicing and translation in two separate compartments.