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CAS 108321-42-2 Aminoglycoside Selection Antibiotic Aminoglycoside Selection Antibiotic

Geneticin disulphate (G-418)

IUPAC: G418 bis(sulfate) salt View on PubChem
CAS NUMBER
108321-42-2
MOL. FORMULA
C20H40N4O10 · 2H2SO4
MOL. WEIGHT
692.70 g/mol
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Scientific Overview

G418 blocks polypeptide chain elongation by binding the 80S ribosome and interfering with tRNA docking, causing translational errors and premature chain termination; this makes it lethal to untransfected cells while cells expressing the bacterial neo/aph gene (encoding aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase) inactivate the drug and survive, providing a robust positive-selection system widely used in stable cell line generation.

Geneticin (G-418) Disulfate is an aminoglycoside antibiotic structurally related to gentamicin B1, used as the standard selective agent for identifying and maintaining mammalian, yeast, and plant cells that have stably incorporated a neomycin-resistance (neo) selectable marker gene.

Full Technical Data
Chemical Name Geneticin Disulfate (G-418 Sulfate; Antibiotic G418)
CAS Number 108321-42-2
IUPAC Name G418 bis(sulfate) salt
Molecular Formula C20H40N4O10 · 2H2SO4
Molecular Weight 692.70 g/mol g/mol
Density 1 g/cm³ (solution)
Reaction Scheme
Micromonospora rhodorangea (Fermentation)
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Geneticin Disulfate (G-418)
NA
Commercial Applications

Stable Cell Line Selection

Standard selective agent for isolating mammalian cells stably transfected with a neomycin-resistance marker.

Yeast & Plant Cell Genetic Selection

Used for selection of transgenic yeast (e.g. P. pastoris, S. cerevisiae) and plant cell lines carrying the neo resistance gene.

CRISPR/Gene-Editing Workflow Selection

Applied as a selection pressure to enrich for successfully gene-edited or transfected cell populations.

Recombinant Protein Producer Cell Line Development

Used in maintaining stable, high-expressing production cell lines in biologics manufacturing.

Market Therapeutic Focus
AMINOGLYCOSIDE SELECTION ANTIBIOTIC PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING CELL & GENE THERAPY / BIOPROCESSING RECOMBINANT PROTEIN PRODUCTION ACADEMIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH CRO/CDMO
Scientific Literature

Antibiotic G-418, a New Micromonospora-Produced Aminoglycoside with Activity Against Protozoa and Helminths: Antiprotozoal and Anthelmintic Studies

Authors: Davies, J.; Jimenez, A.

Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.

DOI: 10.1128/AAC.18.4.532

Efficient Selection for High-Expression Transfectants with a Novel Eukaryotic Vector

Authors: Southern, P.J.; Berg, P.

J. Mol. Appl. Genet.

DOI: 10.1007/BF01560891

Aminoglycoside Antibiotics and Their Mechanism of Action

Authors: Davies, J.; Wright, G.D.

Trends Microbiol.

DOI: 10.1016/S0966-842X(97)01046-9
Peer Queries & FAQs
How does G418 selection work in stable transfection experiments?
Only cells that have taken up and are expressing the neo resistance gene (which detoxifies G418) survive drug treatment, so surviving colonies after 1-3 weeks of selection are enriched for stably transfected cells.
What concentration of G418 is typically used?
Selection concentrations vary widely by cell type, generally ranging from about 100-1,000 µg/mL, and are usually optimized via a kill-curve titration for each specific cell line.
Is G418 the same as Gentamicin?
No, though structurally related aminoglycosides from the same chemical class, G418 is used specifically as a laboratory selection agent due to its high eukaryotic cell toxicity, whereas gentamicin is used clinically as an antibacterial.
What is the recommended storage condition?
Store the powder at 2-8°C protected from moisture; prepared solutions should be sterile-filtered and stored at -20°C for long-term use.

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