Question

(1) The antibiotic cordycepin is known to inhibit bacterial transcription.

                  (a) What is the structure of cordycepin and how is it related to the structure of nucleotides?

   (b) Elaborate on the possible mechanism how cordycepin inhibits bacterial RNA synthesis.

  

Answer 1

(1) The antibiotic cordycepin is known to inhibit bacterial transcription.

Here the structure of cordycepin similar to a purine adenosine nucleoside molecule.

In cordycepin, replacement of the OH group at the 3′-position in the ribofuranosyl with H. But in adenosine at the 3' position OH is present.

b) Into the bacterial RNA , if Triphosphate Cordycepin is incorporated then inhibits transcription elongation and RNA synthesis. Because, Cordycepin lack hydroxyl group at the 3' position. Thus resulting the premature termination of RNA synthesis or transcription.  

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