Antibiotic thermorubin tethers ribosomal subunits and impedes A-site interactions to perturb protein synthesis in bacteria

Abstract

Thermorubin is a ribosome-targeting antibiotic. Here, using fast-kinetics and cryoEM, the authors reveal that thermorubin primarily blocks ribosome-recycling by tethering the ribosomal subunits besides impeding translation elongation and termination steps.