NCBR seminar: Gabriel Demo

Ribosome assembly regulation

Abstract:

Ribosomes are essential molecular machines that produce proteins in every living cell, and their proper assembly and activation are critical for life. In this talk, two complementary studies will be presented that reveal how cells carefully control this process to ensure accurate and efficient protein synthesis. First, it will be shown how defects in ribosome assembly - specifically the absence of a key bacterial biogenesis factor called RimM - trigger a quality control mechanism that delays ribosome activation. Second, using ensemble cryo-electron microscopy, it will be shown how bacterial initiation factors guide the formation of functional ribosomes by controlling subunit joining and driving dynamic structural changes. Together, these findings highlight how ribosome assembly and activation are coordinated to maintain the fidelity of protein synthesis.