Tetracyclineisalight-sensitivebacteriostaticpolyketideantibioticfrequentlyusedinawiderangeofin-vitrocellcultureapplications.Tetracycline(achromycin)isafirst-generationtetracyclineantibioticandwasfirstidentifiedin1953byChemistLloydConover’steamatPfizer,incollaborationwithR.B.WoodwardofHarvardUniversity.TetracyclineisanaturallyoccurringantibioticfromS.aureofaciens,S.rimosus,andS.viridofacienthatshowswiderangingactivityagainstbothgram-negativeandgram-positivebacteria.

Tetracyclineisaproteinsynthesisinhibitor.Tetracyclinebindthe30sribosomalsubunit,preventingtheaminoacyl-tRNAfromattachingtotheAsite.Consequently,proteinsynthesisisinhibited.ResistancetotetracyclinearisesfromlossofcellwallpermeABIlity,tetracyclineefflux,ribosomeprotectionandtetracyclinemodification.

Tetracyclineisusedtostudytranscriptionalactivation.KnowledgeoftetracyclineledtothedevelopmentofapopularinducIBLeexpressionsystemineukaryoticcellsknownasTet-OffandTet-On.Tetracyclineisalsousedinmultidrugresistancestudiesandincellcultureapplicationsasaselectiveagent.Additionally,itpromotesexpressionoftheP450proteins.

TOKU-Eoffersthreeformsoftetracycline:tetracyclineHCL(T004),tetracycline,USP(T051),andtetracycline,EP(T016).Tetracycline,USPandtetracycline,EParesparinglysolubleinaqueoussolutionat0.231mg/mL.TetracyclineHCl,isslightlysolubleinaqueoussolutionat10mg/mL.Tetracycline,USP(T051)conformstoUnitedStatesPharmcopeiaspecifications.

CASNumber

60-54-8

MolecularFormula

C₂₂H₂₄N₂O₈·xH₂O

MechanismofAction

Tetracyclineinhibitsbacterialgrowthingram-positiveandgram-negativebacteriabydisruptingcodon-anticodoninteractionsattheribosome,thusblockingproteinsynthesis.Specifically,tetracyclinebindstoasinglesiteonthe30Sribosomalsubunitandinhibitproteinsynthesisbyblockingtheattachmentofchargedaminoacyl-tRNAtotheAsiteontheribosome.Thus,theypreventintroductionofnewaminoacidstothenascentpeptidechain.

Mammaliancellsarenotvulnerabletotheeffectoftetracyclineasthesecellscontainno30Sribosomalsubunitssodonotaccumulatethedrug.

StorageConditions

2-8°C

TariffCode

2941.30.0000

Spectrum

Tetracyclineisabroadspectrumantibiotic,effectiveagainstbothgram-positive,gram-negativebacteria,andmycoplasma.Afewspeciesofbacteriadisplayintrinsicresistancetotetracycline,includingPseudomonasaeruginosa.Acquired(asopposedtoinherent)resistancehasproliferatedinmanypathogenicorganismsandgreatlyerodedtheversatilityofTetracyclinederivatives.ResistanceamongstStaphylococcus,Streptococcus,Neisseriagonorrhoeae,andmembersoftheEnterobacteriaceaeisnowquitecommon.Tetracyclinesshowactivityagainstprotozoanparasitesaswell.