Mupirocin, formerly called pseudomonic acid A, is a naturally occurring antibiotic that was originally isolated as a fermentation product from Pseudomonas fluorescens. It binds reversibly to the bacterial isoleucyl transfer-RNA synthetase and thereby inhibits bacterial protein and RNA synthesis, ultimately leading to bacterial death (Poovelikunnel et al., 2015). This mechanism of action is unique among antibiotics and thus circumvents the development of antibiotic crossresistance, but not resistance. The structural formula is C26H44O9 and the molecular weight is 500.622 g/mol. The chemical structure of mupirocin is shown in Figure 84.1.

doi.org/10.1201/9781315152110, hdl.handle.net/1765/112320
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Verkaik, N., & Vos, M. (2017). Mupirocin. In Kucers the Use of Antibiotics: A Clinical Review of Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiparasitic, and Antiviral Drugs, Seventh Edition (pp. 1460–1467). doi:10.1201/9781315152110