Spectinomycin 

Broad spectrum antibiotic produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces spectabilis. Spectinomycin inhibits protein synthesis (elongation) by binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit and interfering with peptidyl tRNA translocation. Resistance to spectinomycin is conferred by aminoglycoside-3′-adenyltransferase gene (aadA).
Spectinomycin is used as a selection marker in plant related transformation systems. Spectinomycin is also used for amplification of low copy number plasmid carrying replicons as Col E1, pMB1 (pBR322 and its derivatives), and p15A/rep (pACYC and its derivatives). The replication of these plasmids relies on long-lived enzymes supplied by the host. Addition of spectinomycin to the plasmid containing cells inhibits replication of the host, while the plasmids continue to replicate for 10-15 hours. The copy number of the plasmid can increase 100-fold, from 20-30 copies to 3000 copies as in the case of ColE1.

Mode of Action: Inhibits protein synthesis (elongation) by interfering with peptidyl tRNA translocation.
Antimicrobial spectrum: Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (Gonnococcus only).
Mode of Resistance: Mutation in rpsE (the gene for ribosomal protein S5) prevents binding of spectinomycin.

Inhibits bacteria (E.coli DH5α) growth at a concentration of 100 μg/ml.

0.2 μm filtered

100 mg/mL in DMSO/H₂O, 1:1

wet ice

−20°C

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Carter, A.P., et al. Nature 407, 340-348, (2000) abstract

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Chang, A.C.Y. and Cohen, S.N. J. Bacteriol. 134, 1141-56, (1978) abstract

Ausubel, F.M., et al. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, (1987), 1.5.1-1.5.4

Khan, M.S. and Maliga, P. Nat. Biotechnol. 17, 855-6, (1999) abstract

2

201 °F

94 °C