The actinomycins are a class of polypeptide antibiotics isolated from soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces , of which the most significant is actinomycin D . It was the first antibiotic isolated by Selman Waksman and his co-worker H. more

The actinomycins are a class of polypeptide antibiotics isolated from soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces , of which the most significant is actinomycin D . It was the first antibiotic isolated by Selman Waksman and his co-worker H. B. Woodruff in 1940. [ 1 ]

Actinomycin D is primarily used as an investigative tool in cell biology to inhibit transcription . It does this by binding DNA at the transcription initiation complex and preventing elongation by RNA polymerase . [ 2 ] Because it can bind DNA duplexes, it can also interfere with DNA replication , although other chemicals such as hydroxyurea are better suited for use in the laboratory as inhibitors of DNA synthesis. less