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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, February 2009, p. 563-571, Vol. 53, No. 2
0066-4804/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.00870-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Erythromycin- and Chloramphenicol-Induced Ribosomal Assembly Defects Are Secondary Effects of Protein Synthesis Inhibition{triangledown}

Triinu Siibak,1,2 Lauri Peil,1,{dagger} Liqun Xiong,3 Alexander Mankin,3 Jaanus Remme,1 and Tanel Tenson2*

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23,1 Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia,2 Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 900 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago, Illinois 606073

Received 1 July 2008/ Returned for modification 26 August 2008/ Accepted 13 November 2008

Several protein synthesis inhibitors are known to inhibit ribosome assembly. This may be a consequence of direct binding of the antibiotic to ribosome precursor particles, or it could result indirectly from loss of coordination in the production of ribosomal components due to the inhibition of protein synthesis. Here we demonstrate that erythromycin and chloramphenicol, inhibitors of the large ribosomal subunit, affect the assembly of both the large and small subunits. Expression of a small erythromycin resistance peptide acting in cis on mature ribosomes relieves the erythromycin-mediated assembly defect for both subunits. Erythromycin treatment of bacteria expressing a mixture of erythromycin-sensitive and -resistant ribosomes produced comparable effects on subunit assembly. These results argue in favor of the view that erythromycin and chloramphenicol affect the assembly of the large ribosomal subunit indirectly.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu 50411, Estonia. Phone: 372 7374 844. Fax: 372 7374 900. E-mail: Tanel.Tenson{at}ut.ee

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 24 November 2008.

{dagger} Present address: Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, February 2009, p. 563-571, Vol. 53, No. 2
0066-4804/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.00870-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Maguire, B. A. (2009). Inhibition of Bacterial Ribosome Assembly: a Suitable Drug Target?. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 73: 22-35 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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