Assembly and early maturation of large subunit precursors

The eukaryotic ribosome is assembled through a complex process involving more than 200 factors. As pre-ribosomal RNA is transcribed, assembly factors bind the nascent pre-rRNA and guide its correct folding, modification and cleavage. While these early events in the assembly of the small ribosomal subunit have been relatively well-characterized, assembly of the large subunit precursors, or pre-60S, is less well understood. Recent structures of nucleolar intermediates of large subunit assembly have shed light on the role of many early large subunit assembly factors but how these particles emerge is still unknown. Here, we use the overexpression and purification of truncated pre-rRNAs to examine the initial assembly of pre-60S particles. Using this approach, we can recapitulate the early recruitment of large subunit assembly factors mainly to the domains I, II and VI of the assembling 25S rRNA.