Human ERAL1 is a mitochondrial RNA chaperone involved in the assembly of the 28S small mitochondrial ribosomal subunit.

ABSTRACT: The bacterial Ras-like protein Era has been reported previously to bind 16S rRNA within the 30S ribosomal subunit and to play a crucial role in ribosome assembly. An orthologue of this essential GTPase ERAL1 (Era G-protein-like 1) exists in higher eukaryotes and although its exact molecular function and cellular localization is unknown, its absence has been linked to apoptosis. In the present study we show that human ERAL1 is a mitochondrial protein important for the formation of the 28S small mitoribosomal subunit. We also show that ERAL1 binds in vivo to the rRNA component of the small subunit [12S mt (mitochondrial)-rRNA]. Bacterial Era associates with a 3' unstructured nonanucleotide immediately downstream of the terminal stem-loop (helix 45) of 16S rRNA. This site contains an AUCA seq

SUBMITTER: Dennerlein S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2995420 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature