Scientists from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Marko Močibob and Jasmina Rokov Plavec, together with scientists from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb and University North, published a paper entitled "Methylation of immature small ribosomal subunits by methyltransferases conferring aminoglycoside resistance". The paper was published in the reputable journal Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IF = 3.8).
The research topic were 16S rRNA methyltransferases, a group of enzymes responsible for resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics such as kanamycin or streptomycin. 16S rRNA methyltransferases methylate 16S rRNA in the decoding center of the small ribosomal subunit, thereby interfering with the binding of aminoglycoside antibiotics targeting the small ribosomal subunits. In the published work, the authors showed that 16S rRNA methyltransferases have a broader substrate specificity than previously known, and in addition to mature small ribosomal subunits, they are also capable of binding and methylating intermediate forms on the small ribosomal subunit maturation pathway. The published results are important for a better understanding of antibiotic resistance, a pressing problem of the modern society.
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