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Updated: Sep 12, 2025

mRNA Interactome Capture from Plant Protoplasts
Published on: July 28, 2017
Ribosome biogenesis in plants requires the nuclear envelope and mitochondria localized OPENER complex
Wei Wang1,2, Amir Mahboubi3, Shaochun Zhu4
1Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden. wangwei@yzwlab.cn.
Abstract:
Eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis proceeds from nucleolus to cytosol assisted by various assembly factors. The process is evolutionarily conserved across eukaryotes but differences between the kingdoms are emerging. Here, we describe how the OPENER (OPNR) protein complex is required for 60S ribosome assembly in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The complex is observed on both nuclear envelope and mitochondria, and contains OPNR, OPENER ASSOCIATED PROTEIN 1 (OAP1), OAP2, Cell Division Cycle 48 D (CDC48D) and Calmodulin-interacting protein 111 (CIP111). Depletion of the OPNR complex components results in reproductive lethality and cytoplasmic retention of assembly factors on 60S ribosomes. Subsequent biochemical analyses and structural modelling suggest that OPNR, OAP1 and OAP2 form a claw-like trimer which grabs the ribosome assembly factor RIBOSOMAL PROTEIN L24C (RPL24C) on the pre-60S ribosome. Our results reveal previously unrecognised subcellular complexity of ribosome biogenesis in plants, and point to mitochondria association as a feature to ensure sufficient translational capacity.
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