title: Inhibition of RNA polymerase by streptolydigin: no cycling allowed.
abstract: Bacterial RNA polymerase is a common target for many antibiotics. In two recent papers in Cell and Molecular Cell, and describe a structural basis for inhibition of bacterial RNA polymerase by the antibiotic streptolydigin. Streptolydigin may prevent distortion of a "bridge" alpha helix postulated to occur during the nucleotide addition cycle of RNA polymerase or may block a small movement of the bridge helix that helps load nucleotide triphosphates into the active site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Scotty
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyzer
authors.forename: Jinwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landick
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D009711:Nucleotides; D012313:RNA; C100307:streptolydigin; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases