Question

Many antibiotics inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. For example, tetracycline blocks the A site on the bacterial ribosome. What specific effect would you expect this antibiotic to have on protein synthesis?

Answer 1

Translation may be defined as the process of formation of protein product from the RNA molecule. Three main steps of translation are initiation, elongation and termination.

Antibiotics can effect the different process of translation. Tetracycline can block the A site and thus prevent the binding of the transfer RNA with the ribosomes. This effects the initiation process of translation.Other antibiotics can directly affect the growth of the polypeptide chains and may prevent the elongation of the translation.