Description
Hygromycin B is an antibiotic that also displays antiviral activity. Hygromycin binds the 30S ribosomal subunit, inhibiting protein and RNA synthesis of bacteria or viruses; it induces misreadings at multiple steps in protein translation and suppresses translocation. In animal models, hygromycin B allows translation to occur but prevents formation of viral antigen by Leishmania and, separately, prevents infection by murine hepatitis virus.