Blasticidin S is a nucleoside antibiotic that specifically inhibits protein synthesis in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Suitable for selection of cells carrying plasmids conferring blasticidin resistance. Blasticidin resistance is conferred by the blasticidin S deaminase genes (bsr from Bacillus cereus or BSD from Aspergillus terreus), whose products convert blasticidin S to a non-toxic deaminohydroxy derivative. Blasticidin S belongs to the aminoacylnucleoside class of antibiotics. It inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria and eukaryotes. It also has fungicidal properties and prevents rice blast disease.
Blasticidin S is used as a selection agent for transformed cells that contain the resistance genes bls, bsr, or BSD. Blasticidiin S has been used to select HEK293-T cells with TLR-2 constructs and HEK-D5 cells. It is also used to study protein synthesis at the level of peptide bond formation.
Blasticidin S inhibits hydrolysis of peptidyl-tRNA induced by release factors. It enhances the binding of tRNA to the large subunit of ribosomes and to an extent inhibits peptide bond formation.