MRPL10 is a structural protein of the mitochondrial ribosome, or mitoribosome, the machinery that carries out protein synthesis inside the mitochondrion. Mammalian mitoribosomes consist of a small 28S subunit and a large 39S subunit, and MRPL10 is one of the proteins that make up the 39S subunit. Like other mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, it is encoded by a nuclear gene and the protein is then directed to the mitochondrion.

Mitoribosomes differ from prokaryotic ribosomes in their composition. They have an estimated 75% protein to rRNA content, whereas the ratio is reversed in prokaryotic ribosomes, and they lack the 5S rRNA found in the latter. The proteins that make up the mitoribosome vary greatly in sequence between species, and sometimes in biochemical properties, so they are not easily recognised by sequence homology. MRPL10 belongs to the universal ribosomal protein uL10 family, which is the basis of the uL10m designation used in the current nomenclature for large subunit proteins.

The human MRPL10 gene is listed by HGNC in the groups of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins and large subunit mitochondrial ribosomal proteins. Sequence analysis has identified three transcript variants that encode two different isoforms, and a pseudogene corresponding to the gene is found on chromosome 5q. Mouse and rat both have an orthologous Mrpl10 gene. Researchers studying the MRPL10 gene or MRPL10 protein usually do so in the context of mitoribosome assembly and mitochondrial translation.