Large ribosomal subunit protein eL18

RPL18 (large ribosomal subunit protein eL18) is a 188-amino acid component of the large ribosomal subunit, essential for protein synthesis in the cell (UniProt: Q07020). It is one of many ribosomal proteins that form part of the ribonucleoprotein machinery responsible for translating mRNA into proteins.

RPL18 is associated with Diamond-Blackfan anemia 18 (DBA18), an autosomal dominant congenital disorder characterized by erythroblastopenia and increased malignancy risk (UniProt: Q07020). Pathogenic variants in RPL18 disrupt ribosomal function and erythroid development.

In Alzheimer's Disease, RPL18 shows modest upregulation in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of 0.157 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This increase was detected across TMT-labeled subcellular fractions in a data-dependent acquisition proteomics experiment, suggesting potential alterations in protein synthesis capacity or ribosomal protein composition in the AD brain.