The autosomal recessive disorder Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, characterized by bone marrow failure and leukemia predisposition, is caused by deficiency of the highly conserved Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS) protein. Here, we identify the function of the yeast SBDS ortholog Sdo1, showing that it is critical for the release and recycling of the nucleolar shuttling factor Tif6 from pre-60S ribosomes, a key step in 60S maturation and translational activation of ribosomes. Using genome-wide synthetic genetic array mapping, we identified multiple TIF6 gain-of-function alleles that suppressed the pre-60S nuclear export defects and cytoplasmic mislocalization of Tif6 observed in sdo1Delta cells. Sdo1 appears to function within a pathway containing elongation factor-like 1, and together they control translational activation of ribosomes. Thus, our data link defective late 60S ribosomal subunit maturation to an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome associated with leukemia predisposition.

Mutations in clinically manifest as SDS-like phenotype. Similar to the molecular pathology of SDS, mutant EFL1 proteins do not promote the release of cytoplasmic Tif6 from the 60S subunit, likely preventing the formation of mature ribosomes.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a heterodimeric transcription factor that plays a crucial role in mediating oxygen response in the cell. Using biophysical techniques, we characterized two fragments of the HIF-1alpha subunit, one the full-length ODD domain (residues 403-603) and the second comprising the N-TAD (N-transactivation domain) and inhibitory domain (residues 530-698). Both were unstructured in solution under physiological conditions and so belong to the family of natively unfolded proteins. The HIF-1alpha ODD domain binds weakly to the isolated p53 core domain but tightly to full-length p53 to give a complex of one HIF-1alpha ODD domain with a p53 dimer. By being unstructured, the HIF-1alpha ODD domain can thread both its binding sites through the p53 multimer and bind tightly by the "chelate effect." These results support the idea that hypoxic p53-mediated apoptosis does involve the direct binding of HIF-1alpha to p53.