NCBR seminar: Matthias Thoms

Structural Basis of Eukaryotic Ribosome Assembly

Abstract:

Ribosomes are universal molecular machines that synthesize proteins in all living organisms. Composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal proteins, ribosomes assemble into two subunits: the small (40S) subunit, which decodes messenger RNA (mRNA), and the large (60S) subunit, which catalyzes peptide bond formation. The assembly of eukaryotic ribosomes is a highly dynamic and energy-consuming process that requires more than 200 assembly factors to guide rRNA processing, modification and folding, as well as ribosomal protein incorporation.
Advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have enabled visualization of ribosome assembly intermediates, providing unprecedented insight into this complex process. Here, I will present our work on key structural transitions during eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis, focusing on the role of RNA helicases and small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein particles (snoRNPs) in promoting the assembly of the two ribosomal subunits.
Together, these findings illustrate how coordinated structural rearrangements drive the assembly of the ribosome.