Eukaryotic Ribosome Assembly and Nuclear Export

Accurate translation of the genetic code into functional polypeptides is key to cellular growth and proliferation. This essential process is carried out by the ribosome, a ribonucleoprotein complex of remarkable size and intricacy. Although the structure of the mature ribosome has provided insight into the mechanism of translation, our knowledge regarding the assembly, quality control, and intracellular targeting of this molecular machine is still emerging. Assembly of the eukaryotic ribosome begins in the nucleolus and requires more than 350 conserved assembly factors, which transiently associate with the preribosome at specific maturation stages. After accomplishing their tasks, early-acting assembly factors are released, preparing preribosomes for nuclear export. Export competent preribosomal subunits are transported through nuclear pore complexes into the cytoplasm, where they undergo final maturation steps, which are closely connected to quality control, before engaging in translation. In this chapter, we focus on the final events that commit correctly assembled ribosomal subunits for translation.