rRNA Biology

Dear Colleagues, 

Fourty years after the demonstration that ribosomes were the effectors of translation, new evidence suggests that we are entering an exciting novel ribosomal era in which the “passive” role of ribosomes in gene expression regulation is challenged.

Recent studies revealed unexpected roles for the eukaryotic ribosome in selective translational regulation. Numerous data show that eukaryotic ribosomes can vary in ribosomal protein (RP) composition and that ribosomes with different RP composition exhibit different translational activities. These observations led to the concept of specialized ribosomes, which was exposed in several reviews. Interestingly, ribosomal RNA composition was also shown to vary and to be associated with modulation of translational ribosomal activities. Therefore, regulation of rRNA biology per se could be an additional molecular mechanism to provide the eukaryotic ribosome with the structural and functional diversity required for its specialization. It seems timely to assemble current data potentially linking rRNA biology to ribosomal activities and ribosome specialization. We will review each step of rRNA biology emphasizing those that could directly impact ribosome structure and function, including rRNA evolution in terms of sequence, chemical modification and structure, transcriptomic and epigenetic regulation of rDNA expression, rRNA processing and assembly with RP and export, and rRNA chemical modifications. In addition, we will highlight several breakthrough technological developments that enabled us to revisit rRNA biology.

Hopefully, this Special Issue will shed some light on our “modern view of ribosomes” and respond to the palpable infatuation for ribosomes that is now affecting biologists outside of the field of ribosome biology.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Diaz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.