NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 17 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have deciphered the mechanics of a complex molecule that blocks a key bacterial enzyme, which could lead to better antibiotics.
Two teams of researchers at Rutgers University have found independently that a natural molecule called microcin J25 acts like a cork in a bottle to block a vital tunnel of the bacterial enzyme RNA polymerase. The tunnel is needed for the enzyme's synthesis and to rid itself of byproducts.
"Closing the crowded, two-way 'tunnel' starves RNAP, shuts it down and kills the bacteria," said Richard H. Ebright, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and university professor. "Understanding the way in which MccJ25 works sets the stage for the development of novel antibacterial drug designs."
MccJ25 does not inhibit human RNAP and would not kill a person, the researchers said. Instead, it only affects bacteria such as Escherichia coli -- commonly related to food poisoning and intestinal disorders -- and closely related species.
