FluxMPS™ Penicillin-Streptomycin (10,000 U/mL)

Penicillin-Streptomycin (10,000 U/mL)


*This product is intended for RUO / R&D Use Only

Size 100mL

Sterile: 0.1-micron membrane TWICE, & 0.04-micron membrane Twice

Quality Control:

Concentration: 100X 
pH: 6.1-6.3
Culture Type: Mammalian Cell Culture, Insect Cell Culture
Form:Liquid
Product Type: Antibiotics
Application: Prevention of Cell Culture Contamination
Sterility: Sterile-Filtered, 0.1-micron membrane TWICE, & 0.04-micron membrane Twice
Shelf Life:12 months
Shipping Conditions:  Dry Ice
Storage Conditions: Protect from light. Store at -20°C. Repeated freezing and thawing should be avoided. 

Description:
Penicillin-Streptomycin (10,000 U/mL) is an antibiotic solution used as a supplement in cell culture media to prevent bacterial contamination. It contains 10,000 units/mL of the antibiotic penicillin and 10,000 μg/mL of the antibiotic streptomycin.
Penicillin interferes with bacterial cell wall synthesis by inhibiting the turnover of the cell wall. Streptomycin binds to the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes, inhibiting protein synthesis and leading to death in susceptible bacteria.  This combined action makes the solution effective against most gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.  It is added at typical working concentrations of 50-100 U/mL penicillin and 50-100 μg/mL streptomycin.

The use of a pen/strep antibiotic combination can have unintended effects on the cells being cultured, and researchers must be aware of this. Previous studies have shown that Penicillin and streptomycin can induce global changes in gene expression and chromatin landscape in human cell lines (i.e., HepG2 liver cells)(Ref. 1).  The differentially expressed genes are involved in pathways related to drug response, insulin response, fatty acid metabolism, apoptosis, cell growth, and unfolded protein response. As another example, melanoma cell cultures showed that penicillin-streptomycin moderately stimulated enzymes like dopa oxidase and tyrosine hydroxylase involved in melanin synthesis, increasing melanin content over 24-48 hours.  Thus, researchers must remember that cell culture conditions in vitro with Pen/Strep and other antibiotics or antimycotics are different than in vivo conditions or primary cells without antibiotics. 

Antibiotics like penicillin and streptomycin can negatively impact the proliferation, differentiation potential, and biochemistry of various cell types, including stem cells, primary cancer cells, and keratinocytes. For example, the antibiotic mix reduces the proliferation rate of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and hinders the development of a fully differentiated epidermis in 3D skin models.


Mechanism of Action

• Penicillin inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by inactivating penicillin-binding proteins, leading to cell lysis.
• Streptomycin binds to the 30S ribosomal subunit in bacteria, inhibiting protein synthesis regardless of whether the cell is actively dividing.
• While penicillin-streptomycin is effective against bacterial contamination, its use in cell culture should be carefully considered and monitored, as it can significantly impact cellular processes, gene expression, and differentiation, potentially confounding experimental results.  Researchers must weigh the benefits of contamination prevention against potential effects on their specific cell system.