Structures of naked mole-rat, tuco-tuco, and guinea pig ribosomes-is rRNA fragmentation linked to translational fidelity?

ABSTRACT: Ribosomes are central to protein synthesis in all organisms. In mammals, the ribosome functional core is highly conserved. Remarkably, two rodent species, the naked mole-rat (NMR) and tuco-tuco, display fragmented 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), coupled with high translational fidelity and long lifespan. The unusual ribosomal architecture in the NMR and tuco-tuco has been speculated to be linked to high translational fidelity. Here, we show, by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, that despite the fragmentation of their rRNA, NMR and tuco-tuco ribosomes retain their core functional architecture. Compared to ribosomes of the guinea pig, a phylogenetically related rodent without 28S rRNA fragmentation, ribosomes of NMR and tuco-tuco exhibit poorly resolved density for certain expansion segmen

SUBMITTER: Gutierrez-Vargas C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12848943 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature