The conceptual origins of ribosome specialization can be traced back to the earliest days of molecular biology. Yet, this field has only recently begun to gather momentum, with numerous studies identifying distinct heterogeneous ribosome populations across multiple species and model systems. It is proposed that some of these compositionally distinct ribosomes may be functionally specialized and able to regulate the translation of specific mRNAs. Identification and functional characterization of specialized ribosomes has the potential to elucidate a novel layer of gene expression control, at the level of translation, where the ribosome itself is a key regulatory player. In this review, we discuss different sources of ribosome heterogeneity, evidence for ribosome specialization, and also the future directions of this exciting field.

核糖体特化的概念起源可以追溯到分子生物学的早期。然而，这一领域直到最近才开始蓄势待发，大量研究确定了跨多个物种和模型系统的不同异质核糖体种群。有人提出，这些组成不同的核糖体中的一些可能在功能上是专门的，并且能够调节特定 mRNA 的翻译。特化核糖体的鉴定和功能表征有可能在翻译水平上阐明基因表达控制的新层，其中核糖体本身是关键的调节参与者。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了核糖体异质性的不同来源、核糖体专业化的证据，以及这个令人兴奋的领域的未来方向。