Ribosome crystallography: From early evolution to contemporary medical insights

Ribosome research took off as soon as ribosomes were identified. At the end of the seventies the extensive biochemical studies yielded illuminating findings about the overall nature of ribosome function. These studies showed that all ribosomes are composed of two unequal subunits. The small subunit in bacteria, denoted as 30S, contains an RNA chain (16S) of about 1500 nucleotides and 20–21 different proteins, whereas the large subunit, denoted as 50S, contains two RNA chains (23S and 5S RNA) of about 3000 nucleotides in total, and 31–35 different proteins. In all organisms the two subunits exist independently and associate to form functionally active ribosomes.

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