EMG1 Nucleolar Protein Homolog (EMG1)

EMG1 encodes an essential, conserved eukaryotic protein involved in ribosome biogenesis. Emg1 localized to both nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions in the presence of Nop14 but to the cytoplasmic fraction only in Nop14-depleted cells.

Conditional Emg1 double-mutant yeast displayed hypersensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotics, which affect protein translation, suggesting that Emg1 may play a role in RNA processing or ribosome biogenesis. Pulse-chase labeling of ribosomal RNA transcript processing in conditional Emg1 double-mutant yeast showed a processing defect characterized by increased levels of 35S precursor and reduced levels of 18S rRNA and its 20S precursor.