Rutgers scientists have deciphered the complex mechanics of microcin J25 (MccJ25), a tiny, natural molecule that acts like a cork in a bottle to block a key bacterial enzyme – potentially leading to a new generation of antibiotics. Two teams of researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, discovered independently that MccJ25 uniquely blocks a “tunnel” into the bacterial enzyme, RNA polymerase (RNAP). The “tunnel” is used to bring raw materials for RNA synthesis into the enzyme and to expel byproducts of RNA synthesis.
