Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

A Fluorescence-based Protocol for Preliminary Screening of Protein Synthesis Inhibitors from Natural Sources
Published on: January 27, 2026
Light-mediated inhibition of protein synthesis
Michael Goard1, Girish Aakalu, Olesya D Fedoryak
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology 114-96, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Abstract:
The regulation of protein synthesis is vital for a host of cell biological processes, but investigating roles for protein synthesis have been hindered by the inability to selectively interfere with it. To inhibit protein synthesis with spatial and temporal control, we have developed a photo-releasable anisomycin compound, N-([6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl]methyloxycarbonyl)anisomycin (Bhc-Aniso), that can be removed through exposure to UV light. The area of protein synthesis inhibition can be restricted to a small light-exposed region or, potentially, the volume of two-photon excitation if a pulsed IR laser is the light source. We have tested the compound's effectiveness with an in vitro protein-translation system, CHO cells, HEK293 cells, and neurons. The photo-released anisomycin can inhibit protein synthesis in a spatially restricted manner, which will enable the specific inhibition of protein synthesis in subsets of cells with temporal and spatial precision.
Related Concept Videos
Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
The Electron Transport Chain
Inhibitors of the electron transport chain
Rotenone, a widely used pesticide, prevents electron transfer from Fe-S cluster to ubiquinone or Q in...
Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis
Types of RNA
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Feedback Inhibition

