ErmBL-mediated translation arrest

Arenz, S., Bock, L.V., Graf, M., Innis, C.A., Beckmann, R., Grubmüller, H., Vaiana, A.C., Wilson, D.N. (2016). A combined cryo-EM and molecular dynamics approach reveals the mechanism of ErmBL-mediated translation arrest. Nat Commun. 7, 12026.

PDB entries: 5JTE, 5JU8

In Streptococcus sanguis, stalling of a ribosome translating the ermBL leader sequence in the presence of macrolide antibiotics leads to the expression of a methyltransferase encoded downstream on the same mRNA, which in turn confers resistance to these antibiotics. In this collaboration with the Wilson, Grubmüller and Beckmann groups, cryo-EM structures of ErmBL-stalled ribosomes and molecular dynamics simulations reveal the mechanism of erythromycin-mediated translational arrest leading to the onset of resistance.