Avilamycin

Aminoglycosides are a family of bacterial antibiotics that are used in the treatment of specific bacterial infections. They display a concentration dependent killing action and are active against a wide range of aerobic Gram-negative bacilli. Aminoglycosides are molecules that are comprised of an amino group and a sugar group. They operate by inhibiting the bacteria from producing proteins vital to its growth. More specifically, they bind to the bacterial 30S(1) ribosomal subunit where they prevent the translocation of the peptidyl-tRNA from the A-site to the P-site, subsequently giving rise to a misreading of mRNA resulting in the inhibition of protein synthesis. This consequently results in a disruption to the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane (2). In addition to their use to prevent bacterial infection, aminoglycosides have been used as growth promoters in food producing animals.