Puromycin dihydrochloride is a potent antibiotic commonly used in molecular biology and cell biology research. Its mechanism of action involves inhibiting protein synthesis in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Puromycin resembles the 3′ end of aminoacyl-tRNA and competes with aminoacyl-tRNA for binding to the A site of the ribosome during translation. Once incorporated into the nascent polypeptide chain, puromycin causes premature termination of translation by forming a peptide bond with the growing peptide chain, leading to the release of the truncated protein and effectively halting protein synthesis. This unique property makes puromycin a valuable tool for studying protein synthesis, ribosome function, and mRNA translation in both in vitro and in vivo experimental systems. In research applications, puromycin dihydrochloride is commonly used for the selection and maintenance of cells that have been transfected or transduced with expression vectors containing puromycin resistance genes. Additionally, puromycin-based assays are utilized to investigate protein synthesis rates, monitor translational fidelity, and study the effects of various factors on translation elongation and termination processes. Its widespread use in molecular and cellular biology research highlights its importance as a versatile tool for elucidating fundamental mechanisms underlying protein synthesis and cellular function.

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