Inside cells, proteins are produced by complex molecular machines called ribosomes. Techniques that allow scientists to visualize ribosomes at the atomic level, such as cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), help shed light on the structure of these molecular machines, revealing details of how they build proteins. Understanding how ribosomes work has many benefits, including the development of new antibiotics that can kill bacteria without affecting animal cells.
Watson et al. used cryo-EM techniques with increased resolution to examine the ribosomes of the bacterium Escherichia coli in a higher level of detail than has been seen before. The results revealed two chemical modifications in proteins that form the ribosome that had not been observed in ribosomes previously. Additionally, a protein segment with a previously undescribed structure was identified close to the site where the ribosome reads the genetic instructions needed to make proteins. Further genetic analyses suggested these structures are in many related species, and may play important roles in how the ribosome works.
Watson et al. were also able to see how paromomycin, an antibiotic used to treat parasitic infections, is positioned in the ribosome. The antibiotic interacts with a site near where the genetic code is read out, which might explain why certain changes to the antibiotic can interfere with its potency. Finally, the new ribosome structure reveals thousands of water molecules and metal ions that help keep the ribosome together as it produces proteins.
This study shows the value of advances in cryo-EM technology and illustrates the importance of applying these techniques to other cell components. The results also reveal details of the ribosome useful for further research into this essential molecular machine.