Probing RNA-antibiotic interactions: a FTIR study.

The crystal structure determination of antibiotic binding sites on the 30S ribosomal subunit and the increasing demand for developing RNA-based drugs has prompted us to study the direct binding of spectinomycin, vancomycin and bleomycin with yeast total RNA using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We report that the OH of spectinomycin and the peptide group of vancomycin can bind to the bases of RNA, which might depend on Mg2+ concentration. Bleomycin on the other hand does not show such a drastic effect on yeast total RNA. This study might help in developing innovative strategies utilizing RNA molecules to perform a variety of essential biological functions.