2.8-Å Cryo-EM Structure of the Large Ribosomal Subunit from the Eukaryotic Parasite Leishmania

• 2.8-Å cryo-EM map of Leishmania ribosome facilitates atomic resolution structure
• Direct observation of eukaryotic rRNA modifications
• Leishmanial rRNA is fragmented and hyper modified at unique positions
• Fragmented rRNA termini converge into three focal points involving 5.8S

SummaryLeishmania is a single-cell eukaryotic parasite of the Trypanosomatidae family, whose members cause an array of tropical diseases. The often fatal outcome of infections, lack of effective vaccines, limited selection of therapeutic drugs, and emerging resistant strains, underline the need to develop strategies to combat these pathogens. The Trypanosomatid ribosome has recently been highlighted as a promising therapeutic target due to structural features that are distinct from other eukaryotes. Here, we present the 2.8-Å resolution structure of the Leishmania donovani large ribosomal subunit (LSU) derived from a cryo-EM map, further enabling the structural observation of eukaryotic rRNA modifications that play a significant role in ribosome assembly and function. The structure illustrates the unique fragmented nature of leishmanial LSU rRNA and highlights the irregular distribution of rRNA modifications in Leishmania, a characteristic with implications for anti-parasitic drug development.

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