Other Notes Review4; Inhibitor of protein synthesis, binds to the 30S subunit and inhibits binding of aminoacyl-tRNAs. Application Tetracycline is an inhibitor of protein synthesis and is used in tetracycline controlled gene expression systems (gene switches) such a the tet-on and tet-off systems 1. It is also used to select tetracyline resistant colonies in cell culture 2. Biochem/physiol Actions Tetracycline binds to the 30S subunit of the ribosome at the A-site. During protein biosynthesis, the new t-RNA with the amino acid attempts to bind to the A-site of the ribosome. However, since the A-site is blocked by the tetracycline, the aminoacyl-tRNA cannot bind to it. Without the attachment of the tRNA, protein biosynthesis cannot occur. Protein biosynthesis is inhibited and cell death occurs 3.