A powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems can circumvent antibiotic resistance thanks to a particular chain of atoms in their structure. Now, a team of researchers from Penn State and Johns Hopkins University have imaged an enzyme involved i
A powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems can circumvent antibiotic resistance thanks to a particular chain of atoms in their structure. Now, a
The chemical steps in an important cellular modification process that adds a chemical tag to some RNAs have been revealed in a new study by Penn State chemists. Interfering with this process in humans can lead to neuronal diseases, diabetes, and cancers.
Modifying RNA: Crucial steps for adding chemical tag to transfer RNA revealed miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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IMAGE: The synthesis of the potent antibiotic thiostrepton uses a radical SAM protein TsrM, whose crystal structure is shown at left while bound to an iron-sulfur cluster and cobalamin. New images. view more
Credit: Booker Lab, Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Images of a protein involved in creating a potent antibiotic reveal the unusual first steps of the antibiotic s synthesis. The improved understanding of the chemistry behind this process, detailed in a new study led by Penn State chemists, could allow researchers to adapt this and similar compounds for use in human medicine. The antibiotic thiostrepton is very potent against Gram-positive pathogens and can even target certain breast cancer cells in culture, said Squire Booker, a biochemist at Penn State and investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While it has been used topically in veterinary medicine, so far it has been ineffective in humans because it is poorly absorbed. We studied