All Topics  
Actinomycin

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Actinomycin
 
 
  Topics Actinomycin Topic Home

The actinomycins are a class of polypeptide antibiotics
Polypeptide antibiotics

Polypeptide antibiotics are a antibiotic classes of antibiotics used for eye, ear or bladder infections in addition to aminoglycosides. They are toxic, and are therefore not suitable for systemic administration, but are administered topically on the skin....
 isolated from soil bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 of the genus Streptomyces
Streptomyces

Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinobacteria and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 500 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described....
, of which the most significant is actinomycin D. It was the first antibiotic isolated by Selman Waksman
Selman Waksman

Selman Abraham Waksman was an United States of America Biochemistry and Microbiology whose research into organic substances—largely into organisms that live in soil—and their decomposition promoted the discovery of Streptomycin, and several other antibiotics....
 and his co-worker H. B. Woodruff in 1940.




nomycin D is primarily used as an investigative tool in cell biology to inhibit transcription
Transcription (genetics)

Transcription is the synthesis of RNA under the direction of DNA. RNA synthesis, or transcription, is the process of transcribing DNA nucleotide sequence information into RNA sequence information....
. It does this by binding DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 at the transcription initiation complex and preventing elongation by RNA polymerase
RNA polymerase

RNA polymerase is an enzyme that produces RNA. In cell s, RNAP is needed for constructing RNA chains from DNA genes as templates, a process called Transcription ....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Actinomycin'
Start a new discussion about 'Actinomycin'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The actinomycins are a class of polypeptide antibiotics
Polypeptide antibiotics

Polypeptide antibiotics are a antibiotic classes of antibiotics used for eye, ear or bladder infections in addition to aminoglycosides. They are toxic, and are therefore not suitable for systemic administration, but are administered topically on the skin....
 isolated from soil bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 of the genus Streptomyces
Streptomyces

Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinobacteria and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 500 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described....
, of which the most significant is actinomycin D. It was the first antibiotic isolated by Selman Waksman
Selman Waksman

Selman Abraham Waksman was an United States of America Biochemistry and Microbiology whose research into organic substances—largely into organisms that live in soil—and their decomposition promoted the discovery of Streptomycin, and several other antibiotics....
 and his co-worker H. B. Woodruff in 1940.




Mechanism

Actinomycin D is primarily used as an investigative tool in cell biology to inhibit transcription
Transcription (genetics)

Transcription is the synthesis of RNA under the direction of DNA. RNA synthesis, or transcription, is the process of transcribing DNA nucleotide sequence information into RNA sequence information....
. It does this by binding DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 at the transcription initiation complex and preventing elongation by RNA polymerase
RNA polymerase

RNA polymerase is an enzyme that produces RNA. In cell s, RNAP is needed for constructing RNA chains from DNA genes as templates, a process called Transcription ....
. Because it can bind DNA duplexes, it can also interfere with DNA replication
DNA replication

DNA replication, the basis for heredity, is a fundamental process occurring in all living organisms to copy their DNA. This process is "semiconservative replication" in that each strand of the original double-stranded DNA molecule serves as template for the reproduction of the complementary strand....
, although other chemicals such as hydroxyurea
Hydroxyurea

Hydroxyurea or hydroxycarbamide is an antineoplastic medication used in hematological malignancy, specifically polycythemia vera and essential thrombocytosis....
 are better suited for use in the laboratory as inhibitors of DNA synthesis.

Clinical use


As chemotherapy

Actinomycin D, marketed under the trade name Dactinomycin, is one of the older chemotherapy drugs which has been used in therapy for many years.

It is a clear, yellow liquid which is administered intravenously and most commonly used in treatment of a variety of cancers including gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, Wilms' tumor
Wilms' tumor

Wilms' tumor or nephroblastoma is a tumor of the kidneys that typically occurs in children, rarely in adults.Its common name is an eponym, referring to Dr....
 and rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma

A rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer, specifically a sarcoma , in which the cancer cells are thought to arise from skeletal muscle progenitors....
.

As an antibiotic

It was the first antibiotic shown to have anti-cancer
Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
 activity, but is not normally used as such, as it is highly toxic, causing damage to genetic material.

Research use

Actinomycin D and its fluorescent
Fluorescence

Fluorescence is a luminescence that is mostly found as an optical phenomenon in cold bodies, in which the molecular absorption of a photon triggers the emission of a photon with a longer wavelength....
 derivative, 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD), are used as stains in microscopy
Microscopy

Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples or objects. There are three well-known branches of microscopy, optical microscopy, electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy....
 and flow cytometry
Flow cytometry

Flow cytometry is a technique for counting, examining, and sorting microscopic particles suspended in a stream of fluid. It allows simultaneous Parametric model analysis of the physical and/or chemical characteristics of single cells flowing through an optical and/or electronic detection apparatus....
 applications. The affinity of these stains compounds for GC-rich regions of DNA strands makes them excellent markers for DNA. 7-AAD binds to single stranded DNA; therefore it is a useful tool in determining apoptosis and distinguishing between dead cells and live ones.

External links