Large ribosomal subunit protein uL4

Large ribosomal subunit protein uL4 (RPL4) is a structural component of the large (60S) ribosomal subunit and participates in protein synthesis (UniProt: P36578). The protein is a core constituent of the ribosomal machinery responsible for translation of mRNA into proteins in the cytoplasm.

RPL4 is broadly expressed across tissues as an essential ribosomal protein. UniProt reports no specific disease associations in the curated database.

In Alzheimer's Disease, RPL4 is downregulated in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.47 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This reduction was detected via quantitative proteomics of human post-mortem AD brain across multiple subcellular fractions, suggesting diminished ribosomal protein availability or ribosomal dysfunction may accompany neurodegeneration in AD.