Negamycin Binds to the Wall of the Nascent Chain Exit Tunnel of the 50S Ribosomal Subunit

Abstract

Negamycin, a small-molecule inhibitor of protein synthesis, binds the Haloarcula marismortui 50S ribosomal subunit at a single site formed by highly conserved RNA nucleotides near the cytosolic end of the nascent chain exit tunnel. The mechanism of antibiotic action and the function of this unexplored tunnel region remain intriguingly elusive.