Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L42 (MRPL42)

Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L42 (MRPL42) is a structural protein encoded by a nuclear gene, essential for the assembly and function of the mitochondrial ribosome (mitoribosome) in human cells. It participates in mitochondrial protein synthesis by forming part of both the small (28S) and large (39S) ribosomal subunits, although definitive subunit assignment remains under study. Unlike prokaryotic ribosomal proteins, mammalian mitoribosomal proteins, including MRPL42, have diverged significantly in sequence, complicating cross-species identification by homology. There are multiple transcript variants and pseudogenes of MRPL42 identified in the human genome. MRPL42's core function is as a structural constituent of the ribosome, facilitating mitochondrial translation that is essential for cellular energy metabolism. Mutation or dysfunction can disturb mitochondrial biogenesis, but MRPL42 itself has not been characterized as a direct therapeutic target and no drugs or specific inhibitors are currently known that act on MRPL42.

Other names

Large ribosomal subunit protein mL42MRPL31MRPS32RPML31HSPC204PTD007L31mtMRP-L31L42mtMRP-L42mL4239S ribosomal protein L31 (mitochondrial)39S ribosomal protein L42 (mitochondrial)28S ribosomal protein S32 (mitochondrial)MRP-S32S32MT