The primary structure of rat ribosomal protein L14

The amino acid sequence of the rat 60S ribosomal subunit protein L14 was deduced from the sequence of nucleotides in two recombinant cDNAs. Ribosomal protein L14 has 213 amino acids (the NH2-terminal methionine is removed after translation of the mRNA); the molecular weight is 23,193. Hybridization of the cDNA to digests of nuclear DNA suggests that there are 6 to 8 copies of the L14 gene. The mRNA for the protein is about 800 nucleotides in length. Rat L14 is related to a number of previously unidentified ribosomal proteins from other eukaryotes but not to any from archaebacteria or eubacteria. The carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of rat L14 and of chicken histone H1 are related. Mutation of the Drosophila melanogaster homolog of rat L14 causes a severe Minute phenotype.