The elongation cycle of protein synthesis involves the delivery of aminoacyl-tRNAs to the A-site of the ribosome, followed by peptide-bond formation and translocation of the tRNAs through the ribosome to reopen the A-site1,2. The translocation reaction is catalyzed by elongation factor G (EF-G) in a GTP-dependent fashion3. Despite the availability of structures of various EF-G-ribosome complexes, the precise mechanism by which tRNAs move through the ribosome still remains unclear. Here we use multiparticle cryo-EM analysis to resolve two previously unseen subpopulations within EF-G-ribosome complexes at sub-nanometer resolution, one of them with a partially translocated tRNA. Comparison of these sub-states reveals that translocation of tRNA on the 30S subunit parallels the swiveling of the 30S-head and is coupled to un-ratcheting of the 30S-body. Since the tRNA maintains contact with the P-site on the 30S-head and simultaneously establishes interaction with the E-site on the 30S-platform, a novel intra-subunit pe/E hybrid state is formed. This state is stabilized by domain IV of EF-G, which interacts with the swiveled 30S-head conformation. These findings provide direct structural and mechanistic insight into the “missing link” in terms of tRNA intermediates involved in the universally conserved translocation process.

Here we present an X-ray crystallography structure of the clinically relevant tigecycline antibiotic bound to the 70S ribosome. Our structural and biochemical analysis indicate that the enhanced potency of tigecycline results from a stacking interaction with nucleobase C1054 within the decoding site of the ribosome. Singlemolecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies reveal that, during decoding, tigecycline inhibits the initial codon recognition step of tRNA accommodation and prevents rescue by the tetracycline-resistance protein TetM.

We present a machine-learning approach called PROSO to assess the chance of a protein to be soluble upon heterologous expression in Escherichia coli based on its amino acid composition. The classification algorithm is organized as a two-layered structure in which the output of primary support vector machine (SVM) classifiers serves as input for a secondary Naive Bayes classifier. Experimental progress information from the TargetDB database as well as previously published datasets were used as the source of training data. In comparison with previously published methods our classification algorithm possesses improved discriminatory capacity characterized by the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.434 between predicted and known solubility states and the overall prediction accuracy of 72% (75 and 68% for positive and negative class, respectively). We also provide experimental verification of our predictions using solubility measurements for 31 mutational variants of two different proteins.

c TP-434 is a novel, broad-spectrum fluorocycline antibiotic with activity against bacteria expressing major antibiotic resistance mechanisms, including tetracycline-specific efflux and ribosomal protection. The mechanism of action of TP-434 was assessed using both cell-based and in vitro assays. In Escherichia coli cells expressing recombinant tetracycline resistance genes, the MIC of TP-434 (0.063 g/ml) was unaffected by tet(M), tet(K), and tet(B) and increased to 0.25 and 4 g/ml in the presence of tet(A) and tet(X), respectively. Tetracycline, in contrast, was significantly less potent (MIC > 128 g/ml) against E. coli cells when any of these resistance mechanisms were present. TP-434 showed potent inhibition in E. coli in vitro transcription/translation (50% inhibitory concentration [IC 50 ] ‫؍‬ 0.29 ؎ 0.09 g/ml) and [ 3 H]tetracycline ribosome-binding competition (IC 50 ‫؍‬ 0.22 ؎ 0.07 M) assays. The antibacterial potencies of TP-434 and all other tetracycline class antibiotics tested were reduced by 4-to 16-fold, compared to that of the wild-type control strain, against Propionibacterium acnes strains carrying a 16S rRNA mutation, G1058C, a modification that changes the conformation of the primary binding site of tetracycline in the ribosome. Taken together, the findings support the idea that TP-434, like other tetracyclines, binds the ribosome and inhibits protein synthesis and that this activity is largely unaffected by the common tetracycline resistance mechanisms.