A novel site of antibiotic action in the ribosome: Interaction of evernimicin with the large ribosomal subunit

The ribosome is one of the major targets for therapeutic antibiotics; however, the rise in multidrug resistance is a growing threat to the utility of our current arsenal. The orthosomycin antibiotics evernimicin (EVN) and avilamycin (AVI) target the ribosome and do not display cross-resistance with any other classes of antibiotics, suggesting that they bind to a unique site on the ribosome and may therefore represent an avenue for development of new antimicrobial agents. Here we present cryo-EM structures of EVN and AVI in complex with the Escherichia coli ribosome at 3.6- to 3.9-Å resolution. The structures reveal that EVN and AVI bind to a single site on the large subunit that is distinct from other known antibiotic binding sites on the ribosome. Both antibiotics adopt an extended conformation spanning the minor grooves of helices 89 and 91 of the 23S rRNA and interacting with arginine residues of ribosomal protein L16. This binding site overlaps with the elbow region of A-site bound tRNA. Consistent with this finding, single-molecule FRET (smFRET) experiments show that both antibiotics interfere with late steps in the accommodation process, wherein aminoacyl-tRNA enters the peptidyltransferase center of the large ribosomal subunit. These data provide a structural and mechanistic rationale for how these antibiotics inhibit the elongation phase of protein synthesis.

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confidence: 70%

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confidence: 99%

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Structures of the orthosomycin antibiotics avilamycin and evernimicin in complex with the bacterial 70S ribosome

Arenz¹,

Juette

Graf³

et al. 2016

“…However, given the enormous size and functional complexity of the ribosome, the number of possible antibiotic targets and sites of functional importance is likely to exceed those currently known. The occasional serendipitous discovery of antibiotics acting on novel ribosomal sites and subsequent recognition of the functional significance of such sites support this notion (8,9). Nonetheless, only a few attempts have been made to identify new sites of antibiotic action and to understand the activity of the associated centers in the ribosome (10).…”

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confidence: 99%

Deleterious mutations in small subunit ribosomal RNA identify functional sites and potential targets for antibiotics

Yassin

Fredrick

Mankin

2005

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Many clinically useful antibiotics interfere with protein synthesis in bacterial pathogens by inhibiting ribosome function. The sites of action of known drugs are limited in number, are composed primarily of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and coincide with functionally critical centers of the ribosome. Nucleotide alterations within such sites are often deleterious. To identify functional sites and potential sites of antibiotic action in the ribosome, we prepared a random mutant library of rRNA genes and selected dominant mutations in 16S rRNA that interfere with cell growth. Fifty-three 16S rRNA positions were identified whose mutation inhibits protein synthesis. Mutations were ranked according to the severity of the phenotype, and the detrimental effect of several mutations on translation was verified in a specialized ribosome system. Analysis of the polysome profiles of mutants suggests that the majority of the mutations directly interfered with ribosome function, whereas a smaller fraction of mutations affected assembly of the small ribosomal subunit. Twelve of the identified mutations mapped to sites targeted by known antibiotics, confirming that deleterious mutations can be used to identify antibiotic targets. About half of the mutations coincided with known functional sites in the ribosome, whereas the rest of the mutations affected ribosomal sites with less clear functional significance. Four clusters of deleterious mutations in otherwise unremarkable ribosomal sites were identified, suggesting their functional importance and potential as antibiotic targets.16S rRNA ͉ 30S subunit ͉ resistance ͉ ribosome ͉ translation W ith a molecular mass of Ϸ2.5 million Da and Ͼ50 different RNA and protein building blocks, the ribosome represents one of the largest and most complex enzymes in the cell. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) accounts for two-thirds of the ribosome and is responsible for its main functions in protein synthesis: interpretation of genetic information and polymerization of amino acids into a polypeptide. rRNA is also intimately involved in known auxiliary activities of the ribosome, such as nascent peptide release, binding of translation factors, GTP hydrolysis, etc. (reviewed in ref. 1).The ribosome is the predominant antibiotic target in the bacterial cell. A large variety of natural and synthetic antibiotics interfere with translation by binding to rRNA and preventing the correct placement of ribosomal ligands, corrupting rRNA structure, or affecting conformational flexibility of rRNA (2). Advantages of the ribosome as an antibiotic target may stem from its RNA-based design. The multiplicity of rRNA genes in microbial genomes makes it difficult for a microorganism to develop resistance by mutating the drug-binding site (3). Furthermore, RNA offers fewer mutational options than protein enzymes (3 versus 19, respectively), which makes it more difficult for a microbial pathogen to ''find'' a mutation that would reduce antibiotic binding without compromising functional integrity of the enzyme. In the clinical setting, ...

“…Orthosomycins exhibit broad spectrum antibiotic properties against bacterial pathogens and hold therapeutic promise as they have a scaffold differing from other antibiotics and act on alternative targets. The orthosomycin everninomicin binds a unique site on the ribosome (3,4) and is effective against resistant bacteria including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin resistant enterococci (5). The everninomicin A congener (Ziracin) reached phase III clinical trials, but pharmacological complications prevented approval.…”

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confidence: 99%

Oxidative cyclizations in orthosomycin biosynthesis expand the known chemistry of an oxygenase superfamily

McCulloch

McCranie

Smith

et al. 2015

Orthosomycins are oligosaccharide antibiotics that include avilamycin, everninomicin, and hygromycin B and are hallmarked by a rigidifying interglycosidic spirocyclic ortho-δ-lactone (orthoester) linkage between at least one pair of carbohydrates. A subset of orthosomycins additionally contain a carbohydrate capped by a methylenedioxy bridge. The orthoester linkage is necessary for antibiotic activity but rarely observed in natural products. Orthoester linkage and methylenedioxy bridge biosynthesis require similar oxidative cyclizations adjacent to a sugar ring. We have identified a conserved group of nonheme iron, α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenases likely responsible for this chemistry. High-resolution crystal structures of the EvdO1 and EvdO2 oxygenases of everninomicin biosynthesis, the AviO1 oxygenase of avilamycin biosynthesis, and HygX of hygromycin B biosynthesis show how these enzymes accommodate large substrates, a challenge that requires a variation in metal coordination in HygX. Excitingly, the ternary complex of HygX with cosubstrate α-ketoglutarate and putative product hygromycin B identified an orientation of one glycosidic linkage of hygromycin B consistent with metal-catalyzed hydrogen atom abstraction from substrate. These structural results are complemented by gene disruption of the oxygenases evdO1 and evdMO1 from the everninomicin biosynthetic cluster, which demonstrate that functional oxygenase activity is critical for antibiotic production. Our data therefore support a role for these enzymes in the production of key features of the orthosomycin antibiotics.antibiotic biosynthesis | oxidative cyclization | crystal structure | nonheme iron α-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenases