Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome and the Quality Control of Ribosome Assembly

The synthesis of new ribosomes is a fundamental conserved process in all cells. Ribosomes are pre-assembled in the nucleus and subsequently exported to the cytoplasm where they acquire functionality through a series of final maturation steps that include formation of the catalytic center, recruitment of the last remaining ribosomal proteins and the removal of inhibitory assembly factors. Surprisingly, a number of key factors (SBDS, DNAJC21, RPL10 (uL16)) involved in late cytoplasmic maturation of the large (60S) ribosomal subunit are mutated in both inherited and sporadic forms of leukemia. In particular, biallelic mutations in the SBDS gene cause Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), a recessive bone marrow failure disorder with significant predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia. By using the latest advances in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate the function of the SBDS protein, we have uncovered an elegant mechanism that couples final maturation of the 60S subunit to a quality control assessment of the structural integrity of the active sites of the ribosome. Further molecular dissection of this pathway may inform novel therapeutic strategies for SDS and leukemia more generally.

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