Targeting Recoding by <i>trans</i>-Translation to Develop Antibiotics

<i>trans</i>-Translation is a recoding event in which a translating ribosome switches from the engaged messenger RNA (mRNA) to a specialized reading frame within transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) without releasing the nascent polypeptide, producing a protein that is encoded in two physically distinct RNA molecules. <i>trans</i>-Translation is the most abundant form of recoding and is found throughout the bacterial kingdom. In <i>Escherichia coli</i> growing in liquid culture, ∼5% of newly synthesized proteins are recoded through <i>trans</i>-translation. The importance of this pathway for pathogenic bacteria makes it a potential target for antibiotic development. This review covers the role of <i>trans</i>-translation in pathogenesis, potential points for inhibition, and the progress in developing <i>trans</i>-translation inhibitors as antibiotics.