title: Functional features of the C-terminal region of yeast ribosomal protein L5.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the functional importance of the C-terminus of the essential yeast ribosomal protein L5 (YrpL5). Previous studies have indicated that the C-terminal region of YrpL5 forms an alpha-helix with a positively charged surface that is involved in protein-5S rRNA interaction. Formation of an YrpL5.5S rRNA complex is a prerequisite for nuclear import of YrpL5. Here we have tested the importance of the alpha-helix and the positively charged surface for YrpL5 function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using site directed mutagenesis in combination with functional complementation. Alterations in the sequence forming the putative alpha-helix affected the functional capacity of YrpL5. However, the effect did not correlate with a decreased ability of the protein to bind to 5S rRNA as all rpL5 mutants tested were imported to the nucleus whether or not the alpha-helix or the positively charged surface were intact. The alterations introduced in the C-terminal sequence affected the growth rate of cells expressing mutant but functional forms of YrpL5. The reduced growth rate was correlated with a reduced ribosomal content per cell indicating that the alterations introduced in the C-terminus interfered with ribosome assembly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Arrhenius Laboratories E5, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.forename: Ivailo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Simoff
authors.forename: Galyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bartish
authors.forename: Odd
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nygård