MRPL12 (mitochondrial ribosomal protein L12), also referred to as 5c5-2, L12mt, MRPL7 or RPML12, is a mammalian mitochondrial ribosomal protein that is involved in protein synthesis within the mitochondrion. MRPL12 is enhanced in growth-stimulated cells as a result of transcriptional activation, suggesting that it may function as a translational regulator of mitochondrial mRNAs. Impairment of MRPL12 leads to reduction in cell growth rate, decreased mitochondrial ATP production and abolition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. MRPL12 is cleaved during its translocation across the mitochondrial membrane and it exists as dimers that bind the large ribosomal subunit. MRPL12 is 198 amino acids in length, belongs to the ribosomal protein L12P family and is highly expressed in the colon.
