This family is highly conserved in species ranging from archaea to vertebrates and plants. The family contains several Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS) proteins from both mouse and humans. Shwachman-Diamond syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder with clinical features that include pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, haematological dysfunction and skeletal abnormalities. It is characterised by bone marrow failure and leukemia predisposition. Members of this family play a role in RNA metabolism [2] [3]. In yeast these proteins have been shown to be 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 [4]. This data links defective late 60S subunit maturation to an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome associated with leukemia predisposition [4].

1: Mutations in SBDS are associated with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. Boocock GR, Morrison JA, Popovic M, Richards N, Ellis L, Durie PR, Rommens JM; Nat Genet 2003;33:97-101. PMID:12496757

2: The SHWACHMAN-Bodian-diamond syndromeprotein family is involved in RNA metabolism. Savchenko A, Krogan N, Cort JR, Evdokimova E, Lew JM, Yee AA, Sanchez-Pulido L, Andrade MA, Bochkarev A, Watson JD, Kennedy MA, Greenblatt J, Hughes T, Arrowsmith CH, Rommens JM, Edwards AM; J Biol Chem 2005; [Epub ahead of print] PMID:15701634

3: Structural and mutational analysis of the SBDS protein family: insight into the leukemia-associated shwachman-diamond syndrome. Shammas C, Menne TF, Hilcenko C, Michell SR, Goyenechea B, Boocock GR, Durie PR, Rommens JM, Warren AJ; J Biol Chem 2005; [Epub ahead of print] PMID:15701631

4: The Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome protein mediates translational activation of ribosomes in yeast. Menne TF, Goyenechea B, Sanchez-Puig N, Wong CC, Tonkin LM, Ancliff PJ, Brost RL, Costanzo M, Boone C, Warren AJ; Nat Genet. 2007;39:486-495. PMID:17353896