What Is Puromycin?

Puromycin (PM) is a protein synthesis inhibitor. It has a structure similar to the end of a tRNA molecule and can bind to amino acids. Instead of aminoacylated tRNA, it binds to the A site of the ribosome and is incorporated into Growing peptides. Although puromycin is capable of binding to the A site, it cannot participate in any subsequent reactions, thus leading to the termination of protein synthesis and release of the immature polypeptide containing puromycin at the C-terminus.

Puromycin

Chinese name: puromycin ^[2]

Antibiotics that can be fermented by Streptomyces. Alboniger. Melting point is 175.5 ~ 177.0 ° C. Optical rotation -11 (ethanol). Decomposed into 6-dimethylamine purine, O-methyl-L-tyrosine and 3-amino-3-deoxyribose in acidic solution. The structure is similar to the amino acid terminal gene linked to adenosine in aminoacyl tRNA molecules, so it can be used as an analog of aminoacyl tRNA, thus replacing some aminoacyl tRNAs into the A position of ribosomes and binding to the extending polypeptide chain. When the peptide in the transfer into this abnormal A position, it is easy to fall off, and it is dissociated from the ribonucleosome early in the form of peptidylpuromycin, which stops the peptide chain synthesis, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis. Because puromycin interferes with the translation process of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, it is difficult to use it as an antibacterial drug, mainly as a biochemical tool for studying protein synthesis. Some people try it for tumor treatment. ^[1]