Ribosomal 60S subunit protein L8A; required for processing of 27SA3 pre-rRNA to 27SB pre-rRNA during assembly of large ribosomal subunit; depletion leads to a turnover of pre-rRNA; L8 binds to Domain I of 25S and 5.8 S rRNAs; mutation results in decreased amounts of free 60S subunits; homologous to mammalian ribosomal protein L7A, no bacterial homolog; RPL8A has a paralog, RPL8B, that arose from the whole genome duplication