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Progress in targeting bacterial transcription

2007; Elsevier BV; Volume: 12; Issue: 5-6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.drudis.2007.01.005

1878-5832

Philippe Villain-Guillot, Lionel Bastide, Maxime Gualtiéri, Jean‐Paul Léonetti,

RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms

The bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is an essential enzyme that is responsible for making RNA from a DNA template and is targeted by several antibiotics. Rifampicin was the first of such antibiotics to be described and is one of the most efficient anti-tuberculosis drugs in use. In the past five years, structural studies of bacterial RNAP and the resolution of several complexes of drugs bound to RNAP subunits have revealed molecular details of the drug-binding sites and the mechanism of drug action. This knowledge opens avenues for the development of antibiotics. Here these drugs are reviewed, together with their mechanisms and their potential interest for therapeutic applications.