Cycloheximide

A very active antibiotic against many yeasts and fungi. Inhibits protein synthesis in eukaryotes (but not in prokaryotes) by interfering with the translocation step. It inhibits chain initiation as well as chain elongation by acting on the 60S subunit of the eukaryote ribosome, interacting directly with enzyme translocase. Cycloheximide is used as an inhibitor to study cell-free protein biosynthesis in eukaryotes and also used to block ribosome-dependent in vivo polypeptide synthesis. It induces apoptosis in a variety of cells, but can also delay or inhibit apoptosis by other agents.