Effect of spectinomycin on peptide chain initiation.

Spectinomycin inhibits the formation and causes dissociation of performed specific cell-free initiation complexes prepared with the trinucleotide A-U-G or R17 phage RNA, fmet-RNAF and either 30S ribosomal subunits or 70S ribosomes. Both the initiation factor and the Mg2+-induced processes are subject to inhibition by spectinomycin. The only exception is the Mg2+-induced 70S initiation system formed with A-U-G which is stimulated by spectinomycin.