# Altering translation allows E. coli to overcome G-quadruplex stabilizers

## TL;DR

This paper shows that slowing down protein production in E. coli helps the bacteria survive when G-quadruplex structures are stabilized.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific genes and translation factors in E. coli that mitigate G4-stabilizer stress through altered translation.

## Key findings

- Reducing translation elongation factor Tu or using antibiotics like kasugamycin suppresses G4-stabilizer effects.
- Lowering translation termination or ribosome recycling proteins harms growth under G4-stabilizing conditions.
- Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses show reduced levels of ribosome-related proteins and transcripts in G4-stabilizer conditions.

## Abstract

G-quadruplex (G4) structures can form in guanine-rich DNA or RNA and have been found to modulate cellular processes, including replication, transcription, and translation. Many studies on the cellular roles of G4s have focused on eukaryotic systems, with far fewer probing bacterial G4s. Using a chemical-genetic approach, we identified genes in Escherichia coli that are important for growth in G4-stabilizing conditions. Reducing levels of translation elongation factor Tu or slowing translation initiation or elongation with kasugamycin, chloramphenicol, or spectinomycin suppress the effects of G4-stabilizing compounds. In contrast, reducing the expression of specific translation termination or ribosome recycling proteins is detrimental to growth in G4-stabilizing conditions. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal decreased protein and transcript levels, respectively, for ribosome assembly factors and proteins associated with translation in the presence of G4 stabilizer. Our results support a model in which reducing the rate of translation by altering translation initiation, translation elongation, or ribosome assembly can compensate for G4-related stress in E. coli.

Graphical Abstract