Eukaryotic cytoplasmic ribosome (80S ribosome) (80S ribosome)

The eukaryotic cytoplasmic ribosome, also known as the 80S ribosome, is a complex macromolecular machine responsible for protein synthesis (translation) within the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells (UniProt). It consists of two major subunits: the large 60S subunit and the small 40S subunit, which together coordinate the decoding of messenger RNA (mRNA) and the assembly of amino acids into polypeptide chains (PubMed, PMID: 28234446). This target is essential for cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation is linked to various diseases, including cancer, where increased ribosome biogenesis supports rapid cell proliferation, and ribosomopathies, which result from genetic defects in ribosomal components (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2015). While many antibiotics specifically target bacterial ribosomes, certain drugs and toxins interact with the eukaryotic ribosome to inhibit translation, such as the chemotherapeutic agent omacetaxine mepesuccinate (PubChem). Therapeutic strategies targeting the eukaryotic ribosome must carefully balance efficacy against potential systemic toxicity due to the ribosome's fundamental role in all healthy cells (FDA Label: Synribo).

Other names

80S ribosomeCytosolic ribosomeEukaryotic ribosomeCytoplasmic ribosome

Inhibition of protein synthesis by blocking translation initiation, elongation, or termination; or through enzymatic inactivation of the large ribosomal subunit (e.g., depurination of 28S rRNA) (PubMed, PMID: 25535370).