1. any of a group of antibiotics produced by soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces, used in medicine and research to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth and in cancer treatment
Usage: technical; medical; often used in the form actinomycin D in clinical and research contexts

Examples

• Actinomycin D is commonly used as a chemotherapy agent in cancer treatment.
• The antibiotic actinomycin was discovered in soil bacteria during the early 20th century.
• Researchers use actinomycin to study gene expression because it binds to DNA.
• Actinomycin has been effective in treating certain bacterial infections.
• The production of actinomycin by Streptomyces species makes these bacteria valuable in pharmaceutical development.