Figure 1.

Protein synthesis inhibitors target several steps of translation. Scheme reporting the different phases of protein synthesis: (1) initiation, where initiator tRNA (tRNAi) binds to the 40S subunit upon start AUG codon recognition; (2) elongation, where peptide bond formation occurs upon selection of the correct cognate tRNA; (3) termination, which triggers the nascent chain’s release upon encountering the stop codon; (4) recycling, where 80S splits up to deliver individual subunits back into the cycle. Overview of the pathways that are inhibited upon binding of small molecule drugs presented in this review.