Mutation K42R in Ribosomal Protein S12 Does Not Affect Susceptibility of Mycobacterium smegmatis 16S rRNA A-Site Mutants to 2-Deoxystreptamines

Recent studies have suggested that ribosomal protein S12 modulates 16S rRNA function and susceptibility to 2-deoxystreptamine aminoglycosides. To study whether the non-restrictive K42R mutation in RpsL affects 2-deoxystreptamine susceptibility in Mycobacterium smegmatis, we studied the drug susceptibility pattern of various mutants with genetic alterations in the 16S rRNA decoding A-site in the context of wild-type and mutant protein S12. RpsL K42R substitution was found not to affect the drug resistance pattern associated with mutational alterations in 16S rRNA H44.