Integrative structural analysis of the UTPB complex, an early assembly factor for eukaryotic small ribosomal subunits

Ribosome assembly is an essential and conserved cellular process in eukaryotes that requires numerous assembly factors. The six-subunit UTPB complex is an essential component of the 90S precursor of the small ribosomal subunit. Here, we analyzed the molecular architecture of UTPB using an integrative structural biology approach. We mapped the major interactions that associate each of six UTPB proteins. Crystallographic studies showed that Utp1, Utp21, Utp12 and Utp13 are evolutionarily related and form a dimer of dimers (Utp1–Utp21, Utp12–Utp13) through their homologous helical C-terminal domains. Molecular docking with crosslinking restraints showed that the WD domains of Utp12 and Utp13 are associated, as are the WD domains of Utp1, Utp21 and Utp18. Electron microscopy images of the entire UTPB complex revealed that it predominantly adopts elongated conformations and possesses internal flexibility. We also determined crystal structures of the WD domain of Utp18 and the HAT and deviant HAT domains of Utp6. A structural model of UTPB was derived based on these data.