Abstract
Ribosomal RNA is a major component of the ribosome. This RNA plays a crucial role in ribosome functioning by ensuring the formation of the peptide bond between amino acids and the accurate decoding of the genetic code. The rRNA carries many chemical modifications that participate in its maturation, the formation of the ribosome and its functioning. In this review, we present the different modifications and how they are deposited on the rRNA. We also describe the most recent results showing that the modified positions are not 100% modified, which creates a heterogeneous population of ribosomes. This gave rise to the concept of specialized ribosomes that we discuss. The knowledge accumulated in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is very helpful to better understand the role of rRNA modifications in humans, especially in ribosomopathies.
Highlights
The ribosome is a complex system that translates the nucleotide code of messengerRNA into protein in cells
112 positions have been shown to be modified in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with 12 different classes of modified nucleotides based on simple chemical transformations and a single, complex, multistep modification
The ribosome was long thought to have a very stable structure, but it has emerged in recent years that, on the contrary, it is highly flexible in terms of its composition and modifications
Summary
The ribosome is a complex system that translates the nucleotide code of messenger. RNA into protein in cells. The RNA moiety—consisting of the 25S, 5.8S and 5S rRNAs for the LSU and the 18S rRNA for the SSU, in yeast—has long been known to contain two regions essential for key catalytic activities for translation: the decoding center (DC) and the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). These rRNAs are transcribed as a long 35S primary transcript encompassing the 18S, 5.8S and 25S mature rRNAs, the 5S rRNA being transcribed independently. Maturation steps occur in parallel with rRNA folding and ribosomal protein assembly and are driven by more than 200 transacting partners (for review see [1]) During these complex processing events, rRNA undergoes many posttranscriptional modifications. Saccharomyces cerevisiae are a fantastic tool, providing us with essential knowledge to underpin future studies in more complex organisms
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