Ribosome hibernation in methanogenic archaea

Ribosome hibernation enables cells to reversibly downregulate translation under stress conditions. While this process is well characterized in Bacteria and Eukaryotes, it remains poorly understood in Archaea. We recently identified a novel archaeal hibernation factor, Hib, but its absence in several archaeal lineages suggests alternative regulatory mechanisms. Here, we investigate ribosome hibernation in an archaeal strain lacking Hib. Ribosomes purified directly from stressed cells form stable ribosome dimers mediated by previously uncharacterized proteins. Preliminary cryo-EM analysis yielded a 3.4 Å structure, demonstrating the quality of the sample. We aim to collect a larger cryo-EM dataset to improve resolution and to characterize additional ribosome-associated complexes present in this heterogeneous, cell-derived sample, providing new insights into archaeal stress-response mechanisms.