Which antibiotic causes misreading of mRNA, leading to abnormal proteins?
Streptomycin represents the first aminoglycoside discovered in 1943 from Streptomyces griseus by Selman Waksman and illustrates the proofreading disruption paradigm of bactericidal action. Faithful protein synthesis depends on correct codon-anticodon pairing monitored at the highly conserved decoding center of 16S rRNA where adenines A1492 and A1493 flip to inspect minor groove. Streptomycin binds to a specific site involving helix 44 of 16S rRNA and ribosomal protein S12 encoded by rpsL within the 30S subunit, stabilizing a closed conformation that normally forms only when cognate tRNA is bou
Ref: Madigan et al., Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 16th ed., Chapter 5: Streptomycin and mRNA Misreading Mechanism.
