An antibiotic inhibits peptidyl transferase activity and causes premature release of incomplete peptide chains during translation. This antibiotic is most likely:

• A Streptomycin
• B Tetracycline
• C Fusidic acid
• D Puromycin ✓

Explanation

Puromycin is a structural analog of aminoacyl-tRNA that enters the A-site of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes. The peptidyl transferase activity of the large ribosomal subunit forms a peptide bond with puromycin, but the resulting peptidyl-puromycin cannot translocate and is released prematurely as a truncated polypeptide. Puromycin is used experimentally to study translation but is not used therapeutically because it inhibits both prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes.

Reference: Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry, 32nd ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.