Ribosomal proteins articles from across Nature Portfolio

Xenopus egg extracts constitute a cell-like system for studying biochemical reactions. Here Chen and co-workers show that extract protein synthesis and degradation are differently affected by cytoplasmic concentration and viscosity.

Attachment of the ubiquitin-like modifier UFM1 to 60S ribosomes has a critical function in the release and recycling of stalled or terminated ribosomes from the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.

Ribosome biogenesis is tightly coordinated with cell-cycle progression. By characterizing the SUMO isopeptidases SENP3/SENP5, Doenig et al. identify a long-sought p53-independent impaired ribosome checkpoint that converges on downregulation of CDK6.

The accuracy of eukaryotic ribosome translocation relies on eukaryote-specific elements of the 80S ribosome, elongation factor 2 and transfer RNAs, all of which contribute to the maintenance of the messenger RNA reading frame.

Disruption of ribosome assembly results in the accumulation of aggregation-prone ‘orphaned’ ribosomal proteins that are toxic to cells if left unchecked. A study finds that cells store such ribosomal proteins during heat shock to enable a quick recovery of ribosome assembly after the removal of this stress.

The folding of ribosomal RNAs is central to the biogenesis of the mitoribosome and is a complex, stepwise process. Five recent cryo-EM studies detail the late steps of the folding and maturation of the human mitoribosomal large subunit RNA that forms the catalytic core of the ribosome: the peptidyl transferase center (PTC).