Large ribosomal subunit protein eL22

Large ribosomal subunit protein eL22 (RPL22) is a structural component of the large ribosomal subunit, contributing to the protein synthesis machinery of the cell (UniProt: P35268). It is a 128-amino-acid protein (14.8 kDa) that functions as part of the 60S ribosomal complex alongside other ribosomal proteins.

RPL22 is ubiquitously expressed and involved in basal cellular translation. No inherent disease associations are documented in UniProt. However, ribosomal dysfunction has been implicated broadly in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis, particularly where protein synthesis or ribosomal stress pathways are disrupted.

In Alzheimer's Disease, RPL22 shows a consistent reduction in abundance across post-mortem human AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (mean log2 fold-change: −0.47, Chaparral AD proteomics). This downregulation may reflect either reduced ribosomal assembly or broader translational stress characteristic of AD neurodegeneration. The direction of change was identified in one subcellular fraction examined by TMT-labeled quantitative proteomics.