Fig. 6: Working model of RlmN as a sensor for oxidative stress.

Environmental factors as well as certain antibiotics induce reactive oxygen species in Enterococcus faecalis. These lead to the inactivation of RlmN through perturbation of its Fe-S cluster, exerting dual effects on both the ribosome and tRNA. m2A (shown in red) is present in position 37 of selected tRNAs and 23 S rRNA in the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome. Loss of m2A modifications on the rRNA and tRNA leads to a modified pool of ribosomes and tRNA, which lead to the upregulation of antioxidant response and downregulation of virulence factors for improved survival in the presence of antibiotics.