ribosome-assembly
Ribosome assembly is the process by which ribosomal RNA and proteins are organized into functional ribosomes, the molecular machines responsible for translating genetic information into proteins. In plants, proper ribosome biogenesis is essential for growth, development, and stress responses, as ribosomes are required for synthesizing the full complement of proteins needed at every stage of the plant life cycle. Disruptions in ribosome assembly can profoundly affect plant morphology and adaptability, making this process a key area of study for understanding how plants regulate gene expression and respond to environmental changes.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-30
Scientists identified a protein called DCL that is critical for building the molecular machinery plants need to develop functional chloroplasts — the green structures that power photosynthesis. Without DCL, plants cannot properly assemble chloroplast ribosomes and die as seedlings.
Loss of DCL causes seedling death and an ivory (colorless) leaf phenotype due to severely reduced chloroplast ribosome accumulation.
DCL is required for accurate processing of three distinct ribosomal RNA molecules: 16S rRNA, the 23S-4.5S precursor, and the 'hidden break' region of 23S rRNA.
DCL physically interacts with three known RNA-processing enzymes (RNC3/RNC4, RNase J, and YbeY), placing it at the hub of an early ribosome assembly network.
