Bacterial ribosome (70S ribosome) (70S ribosome)

The bacterial ribosome is a massive ribonucleoprotein complex that serves as the site of protein synthesis, translating genetic information from mRNA into polypeptide chains [1]. It consists of two major subunits: the small 30S subunit, which decodes the mRNA, and the large 50S subunit, which catalyzes peptide bond formation [2]. Because of the structural differences between the prokaryotic 70S ribosome and the eukaryotic 80S ribosome, it is one of the most successful targets for antimicrobial therapy [3]. Various classes of antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and macrolides, bind to specific sites on these subunits to disrupt different stages of translation [1, 4]. This disruption leads to the inhibition of bacterial growth or cell death, making these drugs essential for treating a wide range of bacterial infections [5]. However, the similarity between bacterial ribosomes and human mitochondrial ribosomes can lead to off-target toxicity, such as ototoxicity or bone marrow suppression [6]. Furthermore, the rapid evolution of resistance mechanisms, including ribosomal mutations and enzymatic modifications, poses a continuous challenge to the efficacy of ribosome-targeting drugs [1]. (Sources: [1] Wilson DN, Nat Rev Microbiol 2014; [2] Poehlsgaard J & Douthwaite S, Nat Rev Microbiol 2005; [3] Steitz TA, Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2010; [4] StatPearls: Macrolides; [5] NIH: Antibiotics; [6] Hutchin T & Cortopassi G, Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1994).

Other names

Prokaryotic ribosome70S ribonucleoprotein complex30S ribosomal subunit50S ribosomal subunitPathogen ribosome

Inhibition of protein synthesis by binding to the 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits, which interferes with translation initiation, aminoacyl-tRNA binding, peptide bond formation, or translocation of the mRNA-tRNA complex.