Errors are inherent in all biological systems. Errors in protein translation are particularly frequent giving rise to a collection of protein quasi-species, the diversity of which will vary according to the error rate. As mistranslation rates rise, these new proteins could produce new phenotypes, although none have been identified to date. Here, we find that mycobacteria substitute glutamate for glutamine and aspartate for asparagine at high rates under specific growth conditions. Increasing the substitution rate results in remarkable phenotypic resistance to rifampicin, whereas decreasing mistranslation produces increased susceptibility to the antibiotic. These phenotypic changes are reflected in differential susceptibility of RNA polymerase to the drug. We propose that altering translational fidelity represents a unique form of environmental adaptation.drug tolerance | persisters
The 1,5-diarylpyrrole derivative BM212 was previously shown to be active against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates and Mycobacterium tuberculosis residing within macrophages as well as against Mycobacterium avium and other atypical mycobacteria. To determine its mechanism of action, we identified the cellular target. Spontaneous Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and M. tuberculosis H37Rv mutants that were resistant to BM212 were isolated. By the screening of genomic libraries and by whole-genome sequencing, we found that all the characterized mutants showed mutations in the mmpL3 gene, allowing us to conclude that resistance to BM212 maps to the MmpL3 protein, a member of the MmpL (mycobacterial membrane protein, large) family. Susceptibility was unaffected by the efflux pump inhibitors reserpine, carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, and verapamil. Uptake/efflux experiments with [ 14 C]BM212 demonstrated that resistance is not driven by the efflux of BM212. Together, these data strongly suggest that the MmpL3 protein is the cellular target of BM212.T he rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drugresistant (XDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), makes the validation of new antitubercular agents a major global priority. Since tubercular drug resistance is chromosomally encoded (17), chemotherapeutic agents directed against new cellular targets are likely to be effective against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains (5,12,13,18). Target identification and validation are usually achieved by either genetic or chemical approaches. The former has the advantage of identifying a likely cellular target a priori but yields no information with regard to the druggability of the target and the access of the drug to the target (a particular problem in mycobacteria [23]). It is therefore not surprising that no current antitubercular agents have been identified through rational drug design (23). Alternatively, the identification of a cellular target candidate through chemical screening has the advantage of knowing that the compound can bind and affect the cellular target in vivo. The identification of the target for an active compound allows the rational modification of lead candidates through medicinal chemistry while ensuring that the compound retains activity against its primary target. However, finding which proteins are inhibited by a compound can be quite challenging.We randomly screened a library of compounds to identify structures of interest for further development. Several azole compounds containing imidazole, pyrrole, toluidine, or methanamine groups were tested for antimycobacterial activity. Among them, 1-{[1,5-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2-methyl-1H-pyrrol-3-yl]methyl}-4-methylpiperazine (BM212) (Fig. 1) proved to be active against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, against M. tuberculosis residing within macrophages, and against Mycobacterium avium as well as other nontuberculous mycobacteria (7). The identification of BM21...
Yes—population benefits are plausible and harms unlikely
Although regulation of translation fidelity is an essential process, diverse organisms and organelles have differing requirements of translational accuracy, and errors in gene translation serve an adaptive function under certain conditions. Therefore, optimal levels of fidelity may vary according to context. Most bacteria utilize a two-step pathway for the specific synthesis of aminoacylated glutamine and/or asparagine tRNAs, involving the glutamine amidotransferase GatCAB, but it had not been appreciated that GatCAB may play a role in modulating mistranslation rates. Here, by using a forward genetic screen, we show that the mycobacterial GatCAB enzyme complex mediates the translational fidelity of glutamine and asparagine codons. We identify mutations in gatA that cause partial loss of function in the holoenzyme, with a consequent increase in rates of mistranslation. By monitoring single-cell transcription dynamics, we demonstrate that reduced gatCAB expression leads to increased mistranslation rates, which result in enhanced rifampicin-specific phenotypic resistance. Consistent with this, strains with mutations in gatA from clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis show increased mistranslation, with associated antibiotic tolerance, suggesting a role for mistranslation as an adaptive strategy in tuberculosis. Together, our findings demonstrate a potential role for the indirect tRNA aminoacylation pathway in regulating translational fidelity and adaptive mistranslation.
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