puromycin

Puromycin is an aminonucleoside antibiotic derived from the bacterium Streptomyces alboniger. It acts as a protein synthesis inhibitor by mimicking the 3' end of aminoacyl-tRNA, entering the ribosomal A site and causing premature chain termination during translation. This results in rapid inhibition of protein synthesis in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, leading to cell death at appropriate concentrations. Puromycin is widely used as a selective agent in laboratory cell cultures due to its toxicity to non-resistant cells. Resistance can be conferred by expression of the pac gene encoding puromycin N-acetyl-transferase. In addition to its use as a research tool, it has been studied for antitumor and antitrypanosomal activities but is not approved for clinical use in humans[1][2][9]. Mechanistically, it also acts as a reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl-peptidase II (serine peptidase) and cytosol alanyl aminopeptidase (metallopeptidase)[2].

Other names

puromicinastylomycinachromycin