Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride pentahydrate

Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride pentahydrate is an aminocyclitol antibiotic that is isolated from Streptomyces spectabilis. Spectinomycin was discovered in culture broth by researchers at the Upjohn company in 1961. Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride pentahydrate shows activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and Mycoplasma.
Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride pentahydrate is a protein synthesis inhibitor. It acts by inhibiting protein synthesis and elongation by binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit and interfering with peptidyl tRNA translocation. This eventually leads to bacterial cell death.
Spectinomycin is commonly used as a selective agent to isolate cells that contain aadA spectinomycin resistance genes. It also has various uses in plant biology applications. Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride is freely soluble in aqeous solution.

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Background

The aminocyclitol antibiotic Spectinomycin, often considered alongside the aminoglycosides, binds in reversible fashion (hence the bacteriostatic activity) to the 16S rRNA of the ribosomal 30S subunit. There it interrupts the translocation event that occurs as the next codon of mRNA is aligned with the A site in readiness for the incoming aminoacyl-tRNA. Structural studies reveal that the antibiotic binds to an area of the 30S subunit known as the head region which needs to move during translocation. Binding of the rigid Spectinomycin molecule appears to prevent the movement required for translocation.