Ribosomal protein L3 bound to 23S precursor rRNA stimulates its maturation by Mini-III ribonuclease

Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) are processed from larger primary transcripts in every living system known. The maturation of 23S rRNA in Bacillus subtilis is catalysed by Mini-III, a member of the RNase III family of enzymes that lacks the characteristic double-stranded RNA binding domain of its relatives. We have previously shown that Mini-III processing of 23S precursor rRNA in assembled 50S ribosomal subunits is much more efficient than a substrate with no ribosomal proteins bound, suggesting that one or more large subunit proteins act as a cofactor for Mini-III cleavage. Here we show that this cofactor is ribosomal protein L3. Stimulation of the Mini-III cleavage reaction is through L3 binding to its normal site at the 3' end of 23S rRNA. We present indirect evidence that suggests that L3 acts at the level of substrate, rather than enzyme conformation. We also discuss the potential implication of using ribosomal protein cofactors in rRNA processing for ribosome quality control.