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Conserved ribosomal RNA modification and their putative roles in ribosome biogenesis and translation

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Fine-Tuning of RNA Functions by Modification and Editing

Part of the book series: Topics in Current Genetics ((TCG,volume 12))

Abstract

rRNA maturation requires extensive covalent modifications of riboses and bases. These modifications concern exclusively the most conserved regions of the molecule, and some modifications are highly conserved throughout the evolution. In bacteria, rRNA modification is achieved exclusively by site-specific enzymes while in archaea and eukaryotes the formation of 2’-O-methylriboses and pseudouridines is guided by numerous snoRNA that direct a catalytic machinery to the target sites on the pre-rRNA. The exact function of these modifications remains elusive since preventing their formation generally leads to no detectable phenotype. However, most of the enzymes that catalyze the formation of these modifications are encoded by essential genes in yeast. Moreover, in some cases preventing the formation of several modifications simultaneously affect ribosome biogenesis and translation. This review presents rRNA modifications that have been conserved throughout the evolution and it gives a special emphasis to the recently characterized 2’-O-ribose RNA methyltransferase Spb1p, which broke the “snoRNA-guided only” methylation dogma.

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  1. Centre de Recherche de Biochimie Macromolèculaire du CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende Montpellier, France

    Bruno Lapeyre

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Lapeyre, B. Conserved ribosomal RNA modification and their putative roles in ribosome biogenesis and translation. In: Grosjean, H. (eds) Fine-Tuning of RNA Functions by Modification and Editing. Topics in Current Genetics, vol 12. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/b105433

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