The degrees of binding of [3H]dibekacin to LiCl-treated cores of E. coli ribosomes were reduced by increasing LiCl concentrations. The 1.15 M LiCl core lost 70~80% of the original binding capacity. The antibiotic attachment to the 1.15 M LiCl core was restored by reconstitution with the split proteins (SP), which were obtained by the treatment of 70S ribosomes with LiCl at concentrations of 0.8-1.15 M. The basic proteins, split off during the transition from 0.4 M LiCl core to 0.8 ~ 1.15 M LiCl core, seemed to be involved in the drug binding. SP0.4~1.15, which was obtained by the treatment of the 0.4 M LiCl core with 1.15 M LiCl, was fractionated by CM-Sephadex C-25 column chromatography, and each fraction was assayed for protein composition and the capability of restoring the ability of the 1.15 M LiCl core to bind the drug. Of ribosomal proteins eliminated with 1.15 M LiCl, the addition of either S9 or L6 alone to the 1.15 M LiCl core was observed to restore approximately 50% of the binding as compared to the 70S ribosome alone, and both proteins restored about 70% of the binding. The results suggested that ribosomal proteins S9 and L6 were involved in the attachment of [3H]dibekacin to the ribosome. The antibiotic binding to the 70S ribosome and 1.15 M LiCl core reconstituted with S9 or L6 was considerably inhibited by unlabelled dibekacin or kanamycin, and partially inhibited by gentamicin or neomycin, but was not significantly affected by streptomycin or viomycin.The mechanism of action of the aminoglycoside group of antibiotics differ. Kasugamycin binds to the 30S ribosomal subunit and selectively inhibits initiation of protein synthesis1,2). Codon misreading is caused by streptomycin, kanamycin, neomycin, gentamicin and related aminoglycosides, but not by kasugamycin3). Translocation of peptidyl-tRNA from the acceptor site to the donor site on the ribosome is blocked by kanamycin, neomycin, gentamicin and related antibiotics but not significantly by streptomycin4). Kanamycin interferes with the translocation by fixing peptidyl-tRNA to the acceptor site but not to the donor site5). Streptomycin selectively binds to the 30S ribosomal subunit (cf. a review by WALLACE et al.6)); but kanamycin, neomycin and gentamicin bind to both 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits4). In some kanamycin-resistant mutants, the resistance is attributed to mutational alterations of the 30S ribosomal subunit in some mutants, and to the 50S subunit in the others7), but streptomycin resistance is due exclusively to changes of the 30S subunit6).For the purpose of elucidating what kind of ribosomal proteins are involved in the binding of kanamycin to the ribosome, we have studied the binding of [3H]dibekacin to the reconstituted ribosomes, following the method of SCHREINER and NIERHAUS8), and the results are presented in this publication.[3H]Dibekacin is employed in the current experiment, because the highly radioactive compound is available.
Materials and Methods[3',4 -3H]Dibekacin (66 yCi/mg) was kindly supplied by Dr. S. FUKATSU, Centra...