The same antibiotics inhibit translation within some bacteria and mitochondria.
True
False
The correct answer and explanation is:
Answer: True
Explanation: Some antibiotics inhibit translation in both bacteria and mitochondria due to their similar mechanisms of protein synthesis. Mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles in eukaryotic cells, share a common evolutionary origin with certain bacteria, specifically proteobacteria. This is supported by the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that mitochondria were once free-living bacteria that formed a symbiotic relationship with ancestral eukaryotic cells.
The translation process in bacteria involves ribosomes that are structurally similar to those in mitochondria. Because of this similarity, antibiotics designed to target bacterial translation machinery can also affect mitochondrial function. Two notable examples of antibiotics that inhibit translation in both bacteria and mitochondria are aminoglycosides and tetracyclines.
Aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin and streptomycin, interfere with the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes, preventing protein synthesis. Since mitochondrial ribosomes also resemble bacterial ribosomes, these antibiotics can disrupt mitochondrial translation, potentially leading to side effects in human cells. Similarly, tetracyclines bind to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, inhibiting the attachment of tRNA and preventing protein synthesis. This inhibition can extend to mitochondria, which use a similar translational system to produce proteins for the mitochondrion’s inner membrane.
However, this similarity can be a double-edged sword. While antibiotics are effective at targeting bacteria, their ability to affect mitochondrial function is a source of toxicity, especially in tissues with high mitochondrial activity, such as muscle and liver. This explains why some antibiotics have side effects related to mitochondrial dysfunction, including ototoxicity (damage to the inner ear) and nephrotoxicity (kidney damage).
In conclusion, the ability of certain antibiotics to inhibit translation in both bacteria and mitochondria highlights their broad-spectrum effects but also raises concerns about potential cellular toxicity.