Pleuromutilin and its derivatives are antibacterial drugs that inhibit protein synthesis in bacteria by binding to the peptidyl transferase

Peptidyl transferase

The Peptidyl transferase is an aminoacyltransferase as well as the primary enzymatic function of the ribosome, which forms peptide links between adjacent amino acids using tRNAs during the translation process of protein biosynthesis....

 component of the 50S

50S

50S is the larger subunit of the 70S ribosome of prokaryotes. It is the site of inhibition for antibiotics such as macrolides, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, and the pleuromutilins. It includes the subunits 5S and 23S.-Structure:...

 subunit of ribosome

Ribosome

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....

s.

This class of antibiotics includes retapamulin

Retapamulin

Retapamulin is a topical antibiotic developed by GlaxoSmithKline. It is the first drug in the new class of pleuromutilin antibiotics to be approved for human use...

 (licenced for topical

Topical

In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...

 use in humans), valnemulin

Valnemulin

Valnemulin is a pleuromutilin antibiotic used to treat swine dysentery, ileitis, colitis and pneumonia. It is also used for the prevention of intestinal infections of swine. Valnemulin has been observed to induce a rapid reduction of clinical symptoms of Mycoplasma bovis infection, and eliminate...

 and tiamulin

Tiamulin

Tiamulin is a pleuromutilin antibiotic drug that is used in veterinary medicine particularly for pigs and poultry.Tiamulin is a diterpene antimicrobial with a pleuromutilin chemical structure similar to that of valnemulin....

 (approved for use in animals) and the investigational drugs azamulin and BC-3781.

History

Pleuromutilin was first discovered as an antibiotic in 1950. It is derived from the fungus

Fungus

A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...

 Clitopilus passeckerianus (formerly Pleurotus passeckerianus), and has also been found in Drosophila

Drosophila

Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...

 subatrata, Clitopilus scyphoides, and some other Clitopilus

Clitopilus

Clitopilus is a genus of fungi in the family Entolomataceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in northern temperate areas. Although a 2008 estimate suggested about 30 species in the genus, a more recent publication using molecular phylogenetics has redefined the genus to include...

species.