The daunting task of modifying ribosomal RNA
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
- Corresponding author: tom.meier{at}einsteinmed.edu
This extract was created in the absence of an abstract.
One of the most basic tasks of every cell is the synthesis of ribosomes, yet the process is so complex that we are only beginning to comprehend it. In human cells, the final product contains four RNAs and 79 proteins forming a large ribonucleoprotein, the ribosome. About twice as many factors are involved in assembly of these protein synthesizing machines. Additionally, some 200 small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins (snoRNPs) function in the modification of preribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) at a similar number of ribonucleotides. Modification is essential for proper function and biogenesis of ribosomes (Decatur and Fournier 2002; Sloan et al. 2016). While abrogation of individual modifications has little to no measurable effects, removal of a combination of modifications or of all causes severe to lethal effects. Modifications mostly cluster around the functional centers of the ribosome, and some modifications are important for ribosome assembly. The subject of this perspective is to …
