Mechanisms of neutralization of toxSAS from toxin-antitoxin modules.

Toxic small alarmone synthetase (toxSAS) enzymes constitute a family of bacterial effectors present in toxin-antitoxin and secretion systems. toxSASs act through either translation inhibition mediated by pyrophosphorylation of transfer RNA (tRNA) CCA ends or synthesis of the toxic alarmone adenosine pentaphosphate ((pp)pApp) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, exemplified by FaRel2 and FaRel, respectively. However, structural bases of toxSAS neutralization are missing. Here we show that the pseudo-Zn2+ finger domain (pZFD) of the ATfaRel2 antitoxin precludes access of ATP to the pyrophosphate donor site of the FaRel2 toxin, without affecting recruitment of the tRNA pyrophosphate acceptor. By contrast, (pp)pApp-producing toxSASs are inhibited by Tis1 antitoxin domains though occlusion of the pyrophosphate acceptor-binding site. Consequently, the auxiliary pZFD of AT2faRel is dispensable for FaRel neutralization. Collectively, our study establishes the general principles of toxSAS inhibition by structured antitoxin domains, with the control strategy directly coupled to toxSAS substrate specificity.

The ABCF ATPase New1 resolves translation termination defects associated with specific tRNAArg and tRNALys isoacceptors in the P site.

The efficiency of translation termination is determined by the nature of the stop codon as well as its context. In eukaryotes, recognition of the A-site stop codon and release of the polypeptide are mediated by release factors eRF1 and eRF3, respectively. Translation termination is modulated by other factors which either directly interact with release factors or bind to the E-site and modulate the activity of the peptidyl transferase center. Previous studies suggested that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ABCF ATPase New1 is involved in translation termination and/or ribosome recycling, however, the exact function remained unclear. Here, we have applied 5PSeq, single-particle cryo-EM and readthrough reporter assays to provide insight into the biological function of New1. We show that the lack of New1 results in ribosomal stalling at stop codons preceded by a lysine or arginine codon and that the stalling is not defined by the nature of the C-terminal amino acid but rather by the identity of the tRNA isoacceptor in the P-site. Collectively, our results suggest that translation termination is inefficient when ribosomes have specific tRNA isoacceptors in the P-site and that the recruitment of New1 rescues ribosomes at these problematic termination contexts.

A role for the S4-domain containing protein YlmH in ribosome-associated quality control in Bacillus subtilis.

Ribosomes trapped on mRNAs during protein synthesis need to be rescued for the cell to survive. The most ubiquitous bacterial ribosome rescue pathway is trans-translation mediated by tmRNA and SmpB. Genetic inactivation of trans-translation can be lethal, unless ribosomes are rescued by ArfA or ArfB alternative rescue factors or the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) system, which in Bacillus subtilis involves MutS2, RqcH, RqcP and Pth. Using transposon sequencing in a trans-translation-incompetent B. subtilis strain we identify a poorly characterized S4-domain-containing protein YlmH as a novel potential RQC factor. Cryo-EM structures reveal that YlmH binds peptidyl-tRNA-50S complexes in a position analogous to that of S4-domain-containing protein RqcP, and that, similarly to RqcP, YlmH can co-habit with RqcH. Consistently, we show that YlmH can assume the role of RqcP in RQC by facilitating the addition of poly-alanine tails to truncated nascent polypeptides. While in B. subtilis the function of YlmH is redundant with RqcP, our taxonomic analysis reveals that in multiple bacterial phyla RqcP is absent, while YlmH and RqcH are present, suggesting that in these species YlmH plays a central role in the RQC.

Chp1 is a dedicated chaperone at the ribosome that safeguards eEF1A biogenesis.

Cotranslational protein folding depends on general chaperones that engage highly diverse nascent chains at the ribosomes. Here we discover a dedicated ribosome-associated chaperone, Chp1, that rewires the cotranslational folding machinery to assist in the challenging biogenesis of abundantly expressed eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A). Our results indicate that during eEF1A synthesis, Chp1 is recruited to the ribosome with the help of the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC), where it safeguards eEF1A biogenesis. Aberrant eEF1A production in the absence of Chp1 triggers instant proteolysis, widespread protein aggregation, activation of Hsf1 stress transcription and compromises cellular fitness. The expression of pathogenic eEF1A2 variants linked to epileptic-dyskinetic encephalopathy is protected by Chp1. Thus, eEF1A is a difficult-to-fold protein that necessitates a biogenesis pathway starting with dedicated folding factor Chp1 at the ribosome to protect the eukaryotic cell from proteostasis collapse.

Structural basis for PoxtA-mediated resistance to phenicol and oxazolidinone antibiotics.

PoxtA and OptrA are ATP binding cassette (ABC) proteins of the F subtype (ABCF). They confer resistance to oxazolidinone and phenicol antibiotics, such as linezolid and chloramphenicol, which stall translating ribosomes when certain amino acids are present at a defined position in the nascent polypeptide chain. These proteins are often encoded on mobile genetic elements, facilitating their rapid spread amongst Gram-positive bacteria, and are thought to confer resistance by binding to the ribosome and dislodging the bound antibiotic. However, the mechanistic basis of this resistance remains unclear. Here we refine the PoxtA spectrum of action, demonstrate alleviation of linezolid-induced context-dependent translational stalling, and present cryo-electron microscopy structures of PoxtA in complex with the Enterococcus faecalis 70S ribosome. PoxtA perturbs the CCA-end of the P-site tRNA, causing it to shift by ∼4 Šout of the ribosome, corresponding to a register shift of approximately one amino acid for an attached nascent polypeptide chain. We postulate that the perturbation of the P-site tRNA by PoxtA thereby alters the conformation of the attached nascent chain to disrupt the drug binding site.

Nonhydrolysable Analogues of (p)ppGpp and (p)ppApp Alarmone Nucleotides as Novel Molecular Tools.

While alarmone nucleotides guanosine-3',5'-bisdiphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate (pppGpp) are archetypical bacterial second messengers, their adenosine analogues ppApp (adenosine-3',5'-bisdiphosphate) and pppApp (adenosine-5'-triphosphate-3'-diphosphate) are toxic effectors that abrogate bacterial growth. The alarmones are both synthesized and degraded by the members of the RelA-SpoT Homologue (RSH) enzyme family. Because of the chemical and enzymatic liability of (p)ppGpp and (p)ppApp, these alarmones are prone to degradation during structural biology experiments. To overcome this limitation, we have established an efficient and straightforward procedure for synthesizing nonhydrolysable (p)ppNuNpp analogues starting from 3'-azido-3'-deoxyribonucleotides as key intermediates. To demonstrate the utility of (p)ppGNpp as a molecular tool, we show that (i) as an HD substrate mimic, ppGNpp competes with ppGpp to inhibit the enzymatic activity of human MESH1 Small Alarmone Hyrolase, SAH; and (ii) mimicking the allosteric effects of (p)ppGpp, (p)ppGNpp acts as a positive regulator of the synthetase activity of long ribosome-associated RSHs Rel and RelA. Finally, by solving the structure of the N-terminal domain region (NTD) of T. thermophilus Rel complexed with pppGNpp, we show that as an HD substrate mimic, the analogue serves as a bona fide orthosteric regulator that promotes the same intra-NTD structural rearrangements as the native substrate.

RqcH and RqcP catalyze processive poly-alanine synthesis in a reconstituted ribosome-associated quality control system.

In the cell, stalled ribosomes are rescued through ribosome-associated protein quality-control (RQC) pathways. After splitting of the stalled ribosome, a C-terminal polyalanine 'tail' is added to the unfinished polypeptide attached to the tRNA on the 50S ribosomal subunit. In Bacillus subtilis, polyalanine tailing is catalyzed by the NEMF family protein RqcH, in cooperation with RqcP. However, the mechanistic details of this process remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that RqcH is responsible for tRNAAla selection during RQC elongation, whereas RqcP lacks any tRNA specificity. The ribosomal protein uL11 is crucial for RqcH, but not RqcP, recruitment to the 50S subunit, and B. subtilis lacking uL11 are RQC-deficient. Through mutational mapping, we identify critical residues within RqcH and RqcP that are important for interaction with the P-site tRNA and/or the 50S subunit. Additionally, we have reconstituted polyalanine-tailing in vitro and can demonstrate that RqcH and RqcP are necessary and sufficient for processivity in a minimal system. Moreover, the in vitro reconstituted system recapitulates our in vivo findings by reproducing the importance of conserved residues of RqcH and RqcP for functionality. Collectively, our findings provide mechanistic insight into the role of RqcH and RqcP in the bacterial RQC pathway.

RelA-SpoT Homolog toxins pyrophosphorylate the CCA end of tRNA to inhibit protein synthesis.

RelA-SpoT Homolog (RSH) enzymes control bacterial physiology through synthesis and degradation of the nucleotide alarmone (p)ppGpp. We recently discovered multiple families of small alarmone synthetase (SAS) RSH acting as toxins of toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules, with the FaRel subfamily of toxSAS abrogating bacterial growth by producing an analog of (p)ppGpp, (pp)pApp. Here we probe the mechanism of growth arrest used by four experimentally unexplored subfamilies of toxSAS: FaRel2, PhRel, PhRel2, and CapRel. Surprisingly, all these toxins specifically inhibit protein synthesis. To do so, they transfer a pyrophosphate moiety from ATP to the tRNA 3' CCA. The modification inhibits both tRNA aminoacylation and the sensing of cellular amino acid starvation by the ribosome-associated RSH RelA. Conversely, we show that some small alarmone hydrolase (SAH) RSH enzymes can reverse the pyrophosphorylation of tRNA to counter the growth inhibition by toxSAS. Collectively, we establish RSHs as RNA-modifying enzymes.

Structural Basis for Bacterial Ribosome-Associated Quality Control by RqcH and RqcP.

In all branches of life, stalled translation intermediates are recognized and processed by ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) pathways. RQC begins with the splitting of stalled ribosomes, leaving an unfinished polypeptide still attached to the large subunit. Ancient and conserved NEMF family RQC proteins target these incomplete proteins for degradation by the addition of C-terminal "tails." How such tailing can occur without the regular suite of translational components is, however, unclear. Using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (EM) of native complexes, we show that C-terminal tailing in Bacillus subtilis is mediated by NEMF protein RqcH in concert with RqcP, an Hsp15 family protein. Our structures reveal how these factors mediate tRNA movement across the ribosomal 50S subunit to synthesize polypeptides in the absence of mRNA or the small subunit.

A nucleotide-switch mechanism mediates opposing catalytic activities of Rel enzymes.

Bifunctional Rel stringent factors, the most abundant class of RelA/SpoT homologs, are ribosome-associated enzymes that transfer a pyrophosphate from ATP onto the 3' of guanosine tri-/diphosphate (GTP/GDP) to synthesize the bacterial alarmone (p)ppGpp, and also catalyze the 3' pyrophosphate hydrolysis to degrade it. The regulation of the opposing activities of Rel enzymes is a complex allosteric mechanism that remains an active research topic despite decades of research. We show that a guanine-nucleotide-switch mechanism controls catalysis by Thermus thermophilus Rel (RelTt). The binding of GDP/ATP opens the N-terminal catalytic domains (NTD) of RelTt (RelTtNTD) by stretching apart the two catalytic domains. This activates the synthetase domain and allosterically blocks hydrolysis. Conversely, binding of ppGpp to the hydrolase domain closes the NTD, burying the synthetase active site and precluding the binding of synthesis precursors. This allosteric mechanism is an activity switch that safeguards against futile cycles of alarmone synthesis and degradation.

A widespread toxin-antitoxin system exploiting growth control via alarmone signaling.

Under stressful conditions, bacterial RelA-SpoT Homolog (RSH) enzymes synthesize the alarmone (p)ppGpp, a nucleotide second messenger. (p)ppGpp rewires bacterial transcription and metabolism to cope with stress, and, at high concentrations, inhibits the process of protein synthesis and bacterial growth to save and redirect resources until conditions improve. Single-domain small alarmone synthetases (SASs) are RSH family members that contain the (p)ppGpp synthesis (SYNTH) domain, but lack the hydrolysis (HD) domain and regulatory C-terminal domains of the long RSHs such as Rel, RelA, and SpoT. We asked whether analysis of the genomic context of SASs can indicate possible functional roles. Indeed, multiple SAS subfamilies are encoded in widespread conserved bicistronic operon architectures that are reminiscent of those typically seen in toxin-antitoxin (TA) operons. We have validated five of these SASs as being toxic (toxSASs), with neutralization by the protein products of six neighboring antitoxin genes. The toxicity of Cellulomonas marina toxSAS FaRel is mediated by the accumulation of alarmones ppGpp and ppApp, and an associated depletion of cellular guanosine triphosphate and adenosine triphosphate pools, and is counteracted by its HD domain-containing antitoxin. Thus, the ToxSAS-antiToxSAS system with its multiple different antitoxins exemplifies how ancient nucleotide-based signaling mechanisms can be repurposed as TA modules during evolution, potentially multiple times independently.

ABCF ATPases Involved in Protein Synthesis, Ribosome Assembly and Antibiotic Resistance: Structural and Functional Diversification across the Tree of Life.

Within the larger ABC superfamily of ATPases, ABCF family members eEF3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and EttA in Escherichia coli have been found to function as ribosomal translation factors. Several other ABCFs including biochemically characterized VgaA, LsaA and MsrE confer resistance to antibiotics that target the peptidyl transferase center and exit tunnel of the ribosome. However, the diversity of ABCF subfamilies, the relationships among subfamilies and the evolution of antibiotic resistance (ARE) factors from other ABCFs have not been explored. To address this, we analyzed the presence of ABCFs and their domain architectures in 4505 genomes across the tree of life. We find 45 distinct subfamilies of ABCFs that are widespread across bacterial and eukaryotic phyla, suggesting that they were present in the last common ancestor of both. Surprisingly, currently known ARE ABCFs are not confined to a distinct lineage of the ABCF family tree, suggesting that ARE can readily evolve from other ABCF functions. Our data suggest that there are a number of previously unidentified ARE ABCFs in antibiotic producers and important human pathogens. We also find that ATPase-deficient mutants of all four E. coli ABCFs (EttA, YbiT, YheS and Uup) inhibit protein synthesis, indicative of their ribosomal function, and demonstrate a genetic interaction of ABCFs Uup and YheS with translational GTPase BipA involved in assembly of the 50S ribosome subunit. Finally, we show that the ribosome-binding resistance factor VmlR from Bacillus subtilis is localized to the cytoplasm, ruling out a role in antibiotic efflux.

The ribosomal A-site finger is crucial for binding and activation of the stringent factor RelA.

During amino acid starvation the Escherichia coli stringent response factor RelA recognizes deacylated tRNA in the ribosomal A-site. This interaction activates RelA-mediated synthesis of alarmone nucleotides pppGpp and ppGpp, collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp. These two alarmones are synthesized by addition of a pyrophosphate moiety to the 3' position of the abundant cellular nucleotide GTP and less abundant nucleotide GDP, respectively. Using untagged native RelA we show that allosteric activation of RelA by pppGpp increases the efficiency of GDP conversion to achieve the maximum rate of (p)ppGpp production. Using a panel of ribosomal RNA mutants, we show that the A-site finger structural element of 23S rRNA helix 38 is crucial for RelA binding to the ribosome and consequent activation, and deletion of the element severely compromises (p)ppGpp accumulation in E. coli upon amino acid starvation. Through binding assays and enzymology, we show that E. coli RelA does not form a stable complex with, and is not activated by, deacylated tRNA off the ribosome. This indicates that in the cell, RelA first binds the empty A-site and then recruits tRNA rather than first binding tRNA and then binding the ribosome.

Antibiotic resistance ABCF proteins reset the peptidyl transferase centre of the ribosome to counter translational arrest.

Several ATPases in the ATP-binding cassette F (ABCF) family confer resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramins (MLS) antibiotics. MLS are structurally distinct classes, but inhibit a common target: the peptidyl transferase (PTC) active site of the ribosome. Antibiotic resistance (ARE) ABCFs have recently been shown to operate through direct ribosomal protection, but the mechanistic details of this resistance mechanism are lacking. Using a reconstituted translational system, we dissect the molecular mechanism of Staphylococcus haemolyticus VgaALC and Enterococcus faecalis LsaA on the ribosome. We demonstrate that VgaALC is an NTPase that operates as a molecular machine strictly requiring NTP hydrolysis (not just NTP binding) for antibiotic protection. Moreover, when bound to the ribosome in the NTP-bound form, hydrolytically inactive EQ2 ABCF ARE mutants inhibit peptidyl transferase activity, suggesting a direct interaction between the ABCF ARE and the PTC. The likely structural candidate responsible for antibiotic displacement by wild type ABCF AREs, and PTC inhibition by the EQ2 mutant, is the extended inter-ABC domain linker region. Deletion of the linker region renders wild type VgaALC inactive in antibiotic protection and the EQ2 mutant inactive in PTC inhibition.

Structural basis for (p)ppGpp synthesis by the Staphylococcus aureus small alarmone synthetase RelP.

The stringent response is a global reprogramming of bacterial physiology that renders cells more tolerant to antibiotics and induces virulence gene expression in pathogens in response to stress. This process is driven by accumulation of the intracellular alarmone guanosine-5'-di(tri)phosphate-3'-diphosphate ((p)ppGpp), which is produced by enzymes of the RelA SpoT homologue (RSH) family. The Gram-positive Firmicute pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, encodes three RSH enzymes: a multidomain RSH (Rel) that senses amino acid starvation on the ribosome and two small alarmone synthetase (SAS) enzymes, RelQ (SAS1) and RelP (SAS2). In Bacillus subtilis, RelQ (SAS1) was shown to form a tetramer that is activated by pppGpp and inhibited by single-stranded RNA, but the structural and functional regulation of RelP (SAS2) is unexplored. Here, we present crystal structures of S. aureus RelP in two major functional states, pre-catalytic (bound to GTP and the non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, adenosine 5'-(α,ß-methylene)triphosphate (AMP-CPP)), and post-catalytic (bound to pppGpp). We observed that RelP also forms a tetramer, but unlike RelQ (SAS1), it is strongly inhibited by both pppGpp and ppGpp and is insensitive to inhibition by RNA. We also identified putative metal ion-binding sites at the subunit interfaces that were consistent with the observed activation of the enzyme by Zn2+ ions. The structures reported here reveal the details of the catalytic mechanism of SAS enzymes and provide a molecular basis for understanding differential regulation of SAS enzymes in Firmicute bacteria.

HPLC-based quantification of bacterial housekeeping nucleotides and alarmone messengers ppGpp and pppGpp.

Here we describe an HPLC-based method to quantify bacterial housekeeping nucleotides and the signaling messengers ppGpp and pppGpp. We have replicated and tested several previously reported HPLC-based approaches and assembled a method that can process 50 samples in three days, thus making kinetically resolved experiments feasible. The method combines cell harvesting by rapid filtration, followed by acid extraction, freeze-drying with chromatographic separation. We use a combination of C18 IPRP-HPLC (GMP unresolved and co-migrating with IMP; GDP and GTP; AMP, ADP and ATP; CTP; UTP) and SAX-HPLC in isocratic mode (ppGpp and pppGpp) with UV detection. The approach is applicable to bacteria without the requirement of metabolic labelling with 32P-labelled radioactive precursors. We applied our method to quantify nucleotide pools in Escherichia coli BW25113 K12-strain both throughout the growth curve and during acute stringent response induced by mupirocin. While ppGpp and pppGpp levels vary drastically (40- and ≥8-fold, respectively) these changes are decoupled from the quotients of the housekeeping pool and guanosine and adenosine housekeeping nucleotides: NTP/NDP/NMP ratio remains stable at 6/1/0.3 during both normal batch culture growth and upon acute amino acid starvation.

Molecular mutagenesis of ppGpp: turning a RelA activator into an inhibitor.

The alarmone nucleotide (p)ppGpp is a key regulator of bacterial metabolism, growth, stress tolerance and virulence, making (p)ppGpp-mediated signaling a promising target for development of antibacterials. Although ppGpp itself is an activator of the ribosome-associated ppGpp synthetase RelA, several ppGpp mimics have been developed as RelA inhibitors. However promising, the currently available ppGpp mimics are relatively inefficient, with IC50 in the sub-mM range. In an attempt to identify a potent and specific inhibitor of RelA capable of abrogating (p)ppGpp production in live bacterial cells, we have tested a targeted nucleotide library using a biochemical test system comprised of purified Escherichia coli components. While none of the compounds fulfilled this aim, the screen has yielded several potentially useful molecular tools for biochemical and structural work.

Subinhibitory Concentrations of Bacteriostatic Antibiotics Induce relA-Dependent and relA-Independent Tolerance to ß-Lactams.

The nucleotide (p)ppGpp is a key regulator of bacterial metabolism, growth, stress tolerance, and virulence. During amino acid starvation, the Escherichia coli (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA is activated by deacylated tRNA in the ribosomal A-site. An increase in (p)ppGpp is believed to drive the formation of antibiotic-tolerant persister cells, prompting the development of strategies to inhibit (p)ppGpp synthesis. We show that in a biochemical system from purified E. coli components, the antibiotic thiostrepton efficiently inhibits RelA activation by the A-site tRNA. In bacterial cultures, the ribosomal inhibitors thiostrepton, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline all efficiently abolish accumulation of (p)ppGpp induced by the Ile-tRNA synthetase inhibitor mupirocin. This abolishment, however, does not reduce the persister level. In contrast, the combination of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor trimethoprim with mupirocin, tetracycline, or chloramphenicol leads to ampicillin tolerance. The effect is independent of RelA functionality, specific to ß-lactams, and not observed with the fluoroquinolone norfloxacin. These results refine our understanding of (p)ppGpp's role in antibiotic tolerance and persistence and demonstrate unexpected drug interactions that lead to tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics.

Cationic bactericidal peptide 1018 does not specifically target the stringent response alarmone (p)ppGpp.

The bacterial stringent response is a key regulator of bacterial virulence, biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance, and is a promising target for the development of new antibacterial compounds. The intracellular nucleotide (p)ppGpp acts as a messenger orchestrating the stringent response. A synthetic peptide 1018 was recently proposed to specifically disrupt biofilms by inhibiting the stringent response via direct interaction with (p)ppGpp (de la Fuente-Núñez et al. (2014) PLoS Pathogens). We have interrogated the specificity of the proposed molecular mechanism. When inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa planktonic and biofilm growth is tested simultaneously in the same assay, peptides 1018 and the control peptide 8101 generated by an inversion of the amino acid sequence of 1018 are equally potent, and, importantly, do not display a preferential activity against biofilm. 1018 inhibits planktonic growth of Escherichia coli equally efficiently either when the alleged target, (p)ppGpp, is essential (MOPS media lacking amino acid L-valine), or dispensable for growth (MOPS media supplemented with L-valine). Genetic disruption of the genes relA and spoT responsible for (p)ppGpp synthesis moderately sensitizes - rather than protects - E. coli to 1018. We suggest that the antimicrobial activity of 1018 does not rely on specific recognition of the stringent response messenger (p)ppGpp.

Antibacterial activity of the nitrovinylfuran G1 (Furvina) and its conversion products.

2-Bromo-5-(2-bromo-2-nitrovinyl)furan (G1 or Furvina) is an antimicrobial with a direct reactivity against thiol groups. It is active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. By reacting with thiol groups it causes direct damage to proteins but, as a result, is very short-living and interconverts into an array of reaction products. Our aim was to characterize thiol reactivity of G1 and its conversion products and establish how much of antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects are due to the primary activity of G1 and how much can be attributed to its reaction products. Stability of G1 in growth media as well as its conversion in the presence of thiols was characterized. The structures of G1 decomposition products were determined using NMR and mass-spectroscopy. Concentration- and time-dependent killing curves showed that G1 is bacteriostatic for Escherichia coli at the concentration of 16 µg/ml and bactericidal at 32 µg/ml. However, G1 is inefficient against non-growing E. coli. Addition of cysteine to medium reduces the antimicrobial potency of G1. Nevertheless, the reaction products of G1 and cysteine enabled prolonged antimicrobial action of the drug. Therefore, the activity of 2-bromo-5-(2-bromo-2-nitrovinyl)furan is a sum of its immediate reactivity and the antibacterial effects of the conversion products.