| Mode of Action | Puromycin inhibits protein synthesis by causing premature chain termination acting as an analog of the 3′-terminal end of the aminoacyl-tRNA. |
|---|---|
| Mode of Resistance | Puromycin acetyltransferase is an effective resistance gene. |
| Antimicrobial Spectrum | This product is active against gram-positive microorganisms, less active against acid-fast bacilli and more weakly active against gram-negative microorganisms. Puromycin can prevent growth of bacteria, protozoa, algae and mammalian cells and acts quickly, killing 99% of cells within 2 days |
Puromycin is an aminonucleoside antibiotic produced by the bacterium Streptomyces alboniger. It inhibits protein synthesis by disrupting peptide transfer on ribosomes causing premature chain termination during translation. It is a potent translational inhibitor in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Resistance to puromycin is conferred by the puromycin N-acetyl-transferase gene (pac) from Streptomyces. Puromycin has a fast mode of action, causing rapid cell death at low antibiotic concentrations. Adherent mammalian cells are sensitive to concentrations of 2 to 5 μg/ml, while cells in suspension are sensitive to concentrations as low as 0.5 to 2 μg/ml. Puromycin resistant stable mammalian cell lines can be generated in less than one week.
