Blasticidin S
Encyclopedia
Blasticidin S is an antibiotic
that is produced by Streptomyces griseochromogenes. In biological research, specifically genetic engineering
, it is used to select transformed cells which have been engineered to carry a resistance gene for blasticidin. In short, DNA
of interest is fused to DNA encoding a resistance gene, and then is transformed into cells. After allowing time for recovery and for cells to begin transcribing and translating their new DNA, blasticidin is added. Now only the cells that have the new DNA can grow.
bsr and BSD are the most commonly used resistance genes. The proteins produced from these genes enable the cells carrying them to produce protein in the presence of blasticidin.
. This means that cells can no longer produce new proteins through translation
of mRNA.
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
that is produced by Streptomyces griseochromogenes. In biological research, specifically genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, it is used to select transformed cells which have been engineered to carry a resistance gene for blasticidin. In short, DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
of interest is fused to DNA encoding a resistance gene, and then is transformed into cells. After allowing time for recovery and for cells to begin transcribing and translating their new DNA, blasticidin is added. Now only the cells that have the new DNA can grow.
Resistance genes
Three resistance genes have been cloned:- bls (an acetyl transferase) from Streptoverticillum sp. which itself produces blasticidin in a natural example of biological warfare
- bsr (a blasticidin-S deaminaseBlasticidin-S deaminaseIn enzymology, a blasticidin-S deaminase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are blasticidin S and H2O, whereas its two products are deaminohydroxyblasticidin S and NH3....
) from Bacillus cereus (other bsr genes are known as well, see listings in GenbankGenBankThe GenBank sequence database is an open access, annotated collection of all publicly available nucleotide sequences and their protein translations. This database is produced and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information as part of the International Nucleotide Sequence...
) - BSD (another deaminase) from Aspergillus terreus
bsr and BSD are the most commonly used resistance genes. The proteins produced from these genes enable the cells carrying them to produce protein in the presence of blasticidin.
Mechanism of action
Blasticidin prevents the growth of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. It works by inhibiting peptide bond formation by the ribosomeRibosome
A ribosome is a component of cells that assembles the twenty specific amino acid molecules to form the particular protein molecule determined by the nucleotide sequence of an RNA molecule....
. This means that cells can no longer produce new proteins through translation
Translation (genetics)
In molecular biology and genetics, translation is the third stage of protein biosynthesis . In translation, messenger RNA produced by transcription is decoded by the ribosome to produce a specific amino acid chain, or polypeptide, that will later fold into an active protein...
of mRNA.