Termination as a factor in "quality control" during ribosome biogenesis.

In eukaryotes, nascent rDNA and 5 S rRNA gene transcripts undergo 3'-end processing after termination. Mutations in which terminator sequences in these ribosomal RNA genes are deleted completely result in highly unstable transcripts, which are not properly processed and integrated into stable ribosome structure. Mutations that retard RNA processing by extending the 3' external transcribed spacer or by introducing additional secondary structure in the spacers have a similar effect on stable transcript integration. The results indicate that proper termination coupled with efficient rRNA processing acts as a "quality control" process, which helps to ensure that only normal rRNA precursors are effectively processed and assembled into active ribosomes.