Ribosome biogenesis; the KsgA protein throws a methyl‐mediated switch in ribosome assembly

Many trans-acting factors that aid in ribosome biogenesis have been identified in higher organisms but relatively few such factors are known in prokaryotes. In bacteria, the list of such factors includes ATP-energized helicases and chaperones as well as an emerging cadre of switch GTPases. The KsgA protein is a universally conserved methyltransferase that dimethylates both A1518 and A1519 of the 16S rRNA of the small ribosomal subunit. …