Bacterial small ribosomal subunit protein uS12 (uS12)

Bacterial small ribosomal subunit protein uS12 is an essential structural component of the 30S subunit of prokaryotic ribosomes. It plays a critical role in ensuring translational fidelity by interacting with both messenger mRNA (mRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) during translation. Together with proteins S4 and S5, it helps maintain the accuracy of codon–anticodon pairing at the A site. Mutations in uS12 can lead to antibiotic resistance—most notably against streptomycin—by altering drug-binding sites or affecting translational fidelity. The gene encoding this protein is commonly referred to as rpsL. As a highly conserved element across bacteria, it serves as an important therapeutic target for antibiotics that disrupt bacterial protein synthesis without affecting human cytoplasmic proteins[2][8][9].

Other names

30S ribosomal protein S12rpsL (gene name)Ribosomal protein S12RS12_ECOLI (UniProt entry name)

Inhibition of translation by binding to the 30S subunit and interfering with tRNA selection and decoding accuracy[2][9] *Streptomycin binds to uS12, causing misreading of mRNA and inhibition of proper protein synthesis in bacteria.