Lincomycin is a polar, water soluble, broad spectrum antibiotic first isolated from Streptomyces licolnensis by researchers at Upjohn in 1962. Lincomycin was the first of a unique structural class, the lincosamides, containing a rare amino acid, 4-propyl-N-methylproline, coupled to an equally rare aminomethylthio-octopyranoside sugar. Lincomycin and semi-synthetic analogues are often incorrectly considered to be aminoglycosides but share little or no structural similarity. Lincomycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic with activity against anaerobic bacteria and protozoans. Lincomycin acts by binding to the 23S ribosomal subunit, blocking protein synthesis. Lincomycin has been extensively studied with over 7,000 literature citations.