Ribosomal protein L14 is one of the proteins from the large ribosomal subunit. In eubacteria, L14 is known to bind directly to the 23S rRNA. It belongs to a family of ribosomal proteins which, on the basis of sequence similarities [1], groups:

• Eubacterial L14.
• Algal and plant chloroplast L14.
• Cyanelle L14.
• Archaebacterial L14.
• Yeast L17A.
• Mammalian L23.
• Caenorhabditis elegans L23 (B0336.10).
• Higher eukaryotes mitochondrial L14.
• Yeast mitochondrial Yml38 (gene MRPL38).

L14 is a protein of 119 to 137 amino-acid residues. As a signature pattern, we selected a conserved region located in the C-terminal half of these proteins.