Small ribosomal subunit protein eS17

RPS17 encodes small ribosomal subunit protein eS17, a structural component of the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) involved in protein synthesis. The protein participates in early ribosome biogenesis within the nucleolus as part of the SSU processome, where it associates with ribosomal RNA, biogenesis factors, and RNA chaperones to facilitate pre-rRNA folding, modification, and processing (UniProt: P08708).

RPS17 is primarily known from its involvement in Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA4), a rare congenital disorder affecting erythroid development (UniProt: P08708). The protein's broader functions in ribosomal assembly position it at the intersection of protein synthesis and cell viability across diverse tissues.

RPS17 is downregulated in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue relative to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.30 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This modest but consistent reduction was measured across post-mortem human brain samples using quantitative proteomics. The functional significance of reduced ribosomal protein levels in neurodegeneration remains to be characterized.