Mycobacterium tuberculosis ribosome (Mtb ribosome)

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis ribosome is a 70S ribonucleoprotein complex essential for the translation of messenger RNA into functional proteins, a fundamental process for bacterial growth, replication, and virulence (Li et al., 2017, Nature). It is composed of a small 30S subunit and a large 50S subunit, each containing ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and numerous ribosomal proteins. This machinery serves as a critical therapeutic target for several classes of antibiotics used in the treatment of tuberculosis, including aminoglycosides, cyclic peptides, and oxazolidinones (Wilson, 2014, Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine). These drugs exert their bactericidal or bacteriostatic effects by binding to specific sites within the rRNA, thereby interfering with various stages of the translation cycle such as decoding, peptide bond formation, or translocation (Arenz & Wilson, 2016, Nature Reviews Microbiology). Due to structural differences between the mycobacterial ribosome and the human 80S ribosome, these agents can achieve selective toxicity, although mutations in the ribosomal components frequently lead to drug resistance in clinical settings (Dookie et al., 2018, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy).

Other names

Mycobacterium tuberculosis 70S ribosomeMycobacterial protein synthesis machineryMtb translation machineryBacterial ribosome (M. tuberculosis)

Inhibition of protein synthesis by binding to specific sites on the 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits, which disrupts translation initiation, elongation, or translocation, and can induce mRNA misreading (Wilson, 2014, Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine).