Abstract
Molecular chaperones assist cellular protein folding as well as oligomeric complex assembly. In eukaryotic cells, several chaperones termed chaperones linked to protein synthesis (CLIPS) are transcriptionally and physically linked to ribosomes and are implicated in protein biosynthesis. In this study, we show that a CLIPS network comprising two ribosome-anchored J-proteins, Jjj1 and Zuo1, function together with their partner Hsp70 proteins to mediate the biogenesis of ribosomes themselves. Jjj1 and Zuo1 have overlapping but distinct functions in this complex process involving the coordinated assembly and remodeling of dozens of proteins on the ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Both Jjj1 and Zuo1 associate with nuclear 60S ribosomal biogenesis intermediates and play an important role in nuclear rRNA processing, leading to mature 25S rRNA. In addition, Zuo1, acting together with its Hsp70 partner, SSB (stress 70 B), also participates in maturation of the 35S rRNA. Our results demonstrate that, in addition to their known cytoplasmic roles in de novo protein folding, some ribosome-anchored CLIPS chaperones play a critical role in nuclear steps of ribosome biogenesis.