Tetracycline is a short-acting antibiotic that is semi-synthetically produced from chlortetracycline, a compound derived from Streptomyces aureofaciens. Tetracycline enters bacterial cells by passively diffusing through membrane porin channels. Once inside the cell, tetracycline reversibly binds to the 30S subunit just above the binding site for aminoacyl tRNA. At its primary binding site, interactions with the sugar phosphate backbone of residues in helices 31 and 34 via hydrogen bonds with oxygen atoms and hydroxyl groups on the hydrophilic side of the tetracycline help anchor the drug in position. Salt bridge interactions between the backbone of 16S rRNA and tetracycline are mediated by a magnesium ion in the binding site. Tetracycline prevents incoming aminoacyl tRNA from binding to the A site on the ribosome-RNA complex via steric hindrance. This causes inhibition of protein synthesis and hence bacterial cell growth.

Tetracycline Pathway References