Binds 16S rRNA, required for the assembly of 30S particles and may also be responsible for determining the conformation of the 16S rRNA at the A site. Non-essential protein. A second form of S14, it can integrate into the 30S subunit where it partially compensates for loss of the major S14 protein (AC P12878) in restoring 70S formation, although it does not seem to be incorporated into the ribosome as well as the major S14. Contacts proteins S3 and S10 (By similarity). Part of the 30S ribosomal subunit. Repressed by the zinc-specific metallo-regulatory protein zur. Belongs to the universal ribosomal protein uS14 family.