Expanding the chemical toolbox to study how the ribosome comes together

Scientists from David Haselbach lab at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), in collaboration with Helmut Bergler’s team at the University of Graz, have now characterised a new, specific inhibitor of ribosome biogenesis. The study expands the chemical toolbox of known inhibitors with potential applications in both basic and applied research.

Structures of the forming large ribosomal subunit, obtained using neural networks. The inhibitor usnic acid interferes with the assembly line of this large molecular complex (credit: authors)

Ribosomes, essential for protein synthesis and cellular functions, have a complex assembly process of which not all parts are fully understood. Capturing fleeting intermediate stages is challenging, so researchers use specific inhibitors to halt the assembly process at selected steps, enabling them to study these intermediate states. Scientists from the Cryo Electron Microscopy Platform at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), in a collaboration with Helmut Bergler's team at the University of Graz, have now characterised a new specific inhibitor of ribosome biogenesis. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

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