macrolide

[ măkrə-līd′ ]


  1. Any of a class of organic compounds containing a large lactone ring made up of twelve or more members.

  2. Any of a class of antibiotics having a macrolide ring structure linked to one or more sugars. Macrolides are produced by actinomycete bacteria of the genus Streptomyces and act by inhibiting protein synthesis. Erythromycin is a macrolide.

Words Nearby macrolide

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.