Helicobacter pylori 70S ribosome (H. pylori ribosome)

The Helicobacter pylori ribosome is the essential macromolecular machinery responsible for translating genetic information into functional proteins within the bacterium (UniProt). It is composed of two major subunits: the small 30S subunit, which contains 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and the large 50S subunit, which contains 5S and 23S rRNA (PubMed, PMID: 28254955). As a primary therapeutic target, the ribosome is the site of action for several key antibiotics used in H. pylori eradication regimens, such as macrolides and tetracyclines (StatPearls, NBK544286). These drugs disrupt bacterial growth by binding to specific regions of the rRNA, such as the peptidyl transferase center, to inhibit protein synthesis (Nature, doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2110-2). H. pylori infections are a leading cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers, and they are strongly associated with the development of gastric adenocarcinoma and MALT lymphoma (WHO). However, the clinical efficacy of ribosome-targeting drugs is increasingly compromised by the emergence of antibiotic resistance, primarily driven by point mutations in the ribosomal RNA genes (PubMed, PMID: 31434354). Understanding the structural nuances of the H. pylori ribosome is essential for developing next-generation antimicrobial agents that can overcome existing resistance mechanisms.

Other names

70S ribosomeBacterial ribosomeH. pylori 30S subunitH. pylori 50S subunitHelicobacter pylori translation machinery

Inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits, which prevents translation initiation, aminoacyl-tRNA binding, or peptidyl transfer (StatPearls, NBK544286).