The Mode of Action of Pleuromutilin Derivatives

Using equilibrium dialysis techniques it could be demonstrated that (a) the pleuromutilin derivative 14-deoxy-14[(2-diethylaminoethyl)-mercaptoacetoxy] dihydromutilin HCl binds to one site per ribosome specifically, (b) the binding constant is 1.3 times 10(7) M(-1) and (c) chloramphenicol and puromycin compete with binding of the pleuromutilin derivative. Similarly the nucleotides CpA and CpCpA also displace the unsaturated derivative of the above-mentioned pleuromutilin compound. These findings suggest that the ribosomal binding site for pleuromutilin overlaps with that for chloramphenicol and analogs of the 3'-terminus of a tRNA, like puromycin or the nucleotides CpA and CpCpA.