A structural basis for the antibiotic resistance conferred by an A1408G mutation in 16S rRNA and for the antiprotozoal activity of aminoglycosides.

Resistance explained: The crystal structures of the ribosomal decoding A site with an A1408G antibiotic-resistance mutation were solved in the presence and absence of the aminoglycoside geneticin (see structure, geneticin carbon framework in yellow). These structures show how bacteria acquire high-level resistance against aminoglycosides by the mutation.