Large ribosomal subunit protein eL6

RPL6 encodes the large ribosomal subunit protein eL6, a component of the large ribosomal subunit (60S) essential for protein synthesis (UniProt: Q02878). The protein is part of the ribonucleoprotein machinery responsible for translating mRNA into proteins throughout the cell. RPL6 has also been reported to interact with viral regulatory elements during HTLV-I infection.

RPL6 is ubiquitously expressed across tissues as a constituent of the core translational apparatus. No primary disease associations are documented in UniProt, though ribosomal dysfunction has been linked to various pathological conditions affecting protein homeostasis.

In Alzheimer's Disease, RPL6 is significantly downregulated in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (mean log2FC: −0.40; Chaparral AD proteomics). This reduction was detected in a single subcellular fraction during TMT-labeled quantitative proteomics. The downregulation of ribosomal proteins in AD may reflect impaired protein synthesis capacity or neurodegeneration-associated loss of translational machinery in affected neurons.