Ribosome biogenesis takes place mainly in the nucleolus, a nuclear, non-membrane bound organelle forming around the gene arrays encoding ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Nucleolar activity comprises synthesis, processing and maturation of rRNAs, followed by their assembly with ribosomal proteins into pre-ribosomal particles. The final formation of translation-competent ribosomes in the cytoplasm is the prerequisite for protein synthesis, which is the most energy-consuming cellular process. In adult stem cells, ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis determine the switch between the quiescent and the activated state, but also decide whether activated stem cells self-renew or differentiate. Given this major impact on cellular function, it seems likely that perturbations of the circuitry between nucleolar activity and translation lead to ageing-related stem cell deterioration. This review provides an overview of how ribosome biogenesis and translation govern stem cell function and discusses the resultant implication in stem cell ageing.

核糖体的生物发生主要发生在核仁中，核仁是在核糖体RNA（rRNA）编码基因阵列周围形成的核非膜结合细胞器。核仁活性包括rRNA的合成，加工和成熟，然后与核糖体蛋白组装成核糖体前颗粒。在细胞质中可翻译的核糖体的最终形成是蛋白质合成的前提，蛋白质合成是最耗能的细胞过程。在成体干细胞中，核糖体的生物发生和蛋白质合成决定了静止状态与活化状态之间的转换，但也决定了活化干细胞是自我更新还是分化。鉴于这种对细胞功能的重大影响，核仁活性和翻译之间的电路扰动似乎可能导致与衰老相关的干细胞恶化。这篇综述概述了核糖体的生物发生和翻译如何控制干细胞的功能，并讨论了干细胞衰老的结果。