Structural Visualization of the Formation and Activation of the 50S Ribosomal Subunit during In Vitro Reconstitution (Molecular Cell)

Nikolay et al. present cryo-EM reconstructions of in-vitro-generated large ribosomal subunit precursors, which showcase how successive binding of ribosomal proteins is paralleled by formation and stabilization of rRNA folds. These findings establish a basis for a deeper mechanistic understanding of ribosome assembly and will inspire future in vivo approaches.