ANTIBIOTICS

-antimicrobials that can kill or inhibit growth of susceptible organisms.

-usually they affect a metabolic pathway

-can be synthetically produced

1. Beta-lactam (ring or pennan) - is a lactam consisting of a heteroatomic ring structure containing 3 carbons and one nitrogen atom.

-bind and inhibit enzymes involved in cell wall synthesis

-lethal to dividing bacteria

-resistance to beta-lactams due to enzyme "beta-lactamase"

2. Penicillin - used to treat usually gram + bacteria

-derived from blue-green mold Penicillium

-binds irreversibly to transpeptidase and prevents it from cross-linking the peptidoglycan units of the cell wall.

3. Cephalosporin - belongs beta-lactam family, bactericidal, prevents cell wall synthesis

4. Tetracycline - interferes with protein synthesis by binding to ribosomes

5. Glycopeptides - molecules that interfere with synthesis of bacterial cell wall

6. Polymyxin - damages cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria (from Bacillus polymyxa)

7. Aminoglycosides - collection of antibiotics that target cell ribosomes and cause error reading of the mRNA inhibiting protein synthesis. (Includes amikacin, gentamycin, kenamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, etc.)

8. Rifampin - derived from rifamycin

-interferes with RNA synthesis by binding to RNA polymerase

*Antifungal drugs

-typically toxic to humans

Ex. Clotrimazole, ketoconazole, etc.