Final touches and quality control on the assembly of the eukaryotic ribosome

Abstract

One of the most fundamental processes of life is protein synthesis by the ribosome. Although much is known about the function and structure of this macromolecular complex, our understanding on its assembly is still vague. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Malyutin et al (2017) provide a detailed picture of one of the latest assembly stages of the yeast 60S ribosomal subunit. The cryo‐EM map of the 60S‐Nmd3‐Lsg1‐Tif6 complex sheds new light on the function of Nmd3, Lsg1 and Tif6—and their release mechanisms—right before the 60S subunit joins the pool of actively translating ribosomes.