Antibacterial Example Derived from Used to treat Extra info

agents (Gram + or Gram -)

Macrolides  Erythromycin Streptomyces Can treat acne topically  Not stable to stomach acids therefore coated
erythreus (Erythromycin)
 Telithromycin (enterosoluble).
 Erythromycin acts by binding to the 50S subunit of
bacterial ribosomes. It works by inhibiting translocation.
Aminoglycosides  Streptomycin Streptomyces Infective endocarditis caused by
griseus enterococcus when the organism is
 Kanamycin A (Streptomycin) not sensitive to Gentamicin
 Gentamycin (Streptomycin)
Glycopeptides  Vancomycin Streptomyces MRSA (Vancomycin) Because Vancomycin is such a large molecule, it is unable to cross
orientalis the outer cell membrane of gram negative bacteria & therefore
 Teicoplanin (Vancomycin) lacks activity against these organisms. It is unable to cross the
inner cell membrane of gram positive bacteria but this is not
required since the construction of the cell wall takes place outside
the cell membrane.
Rifamycin  Rifampin Streptomyces Tuberculosis It inhibits gram positive bacteria & works by binding non-
mediterranei covalently to DNA-dependent RNA polymerase & inhibiting the
start of RNA synthesis.
Cephalosporins A mould called 1st generation = gram positive
Acremonium bacteria & successive generations =
gram negative bacteria. Acne
treatment.
Tetracylines  Chlortetracyline Streptomyces Acne therapy Chlortetracyline has side effects because it kills the intestinal flora
aurofaciens that makes vitamin K, which is needed as part of the blood clotting
 Tetracycline process. As a result, it is now restricted to topical use.
 Doxycycline
 Demeclocycline
Quinolone  Nalidixic acid  UTI’s (Nalidixic acid)  With nalidixic acid, bacterial resistance can develop
 Ciprofloxacin  Urinary infection, rapidly.
respiratory infection and  With Ciprofloxacin, bacteria are slow to acquire
infection of G.I tract resistance.
(Ciprofloxacin)
Oxazolidinones  Linezolid MRSA Before protein synthesis can start, a 70S ribosome has to be
formed by the combination of a 30S ribosome with a 50S
ribosome. The oxazolidinones bind to the 50S ribosome & prevent
this from happening. As a result, translation cannot occur.
Streptogramin  Quinupristin- MRSA  These agents bind to different regions of the 50S subunit
Dalfopristin of the bacterial ribosome & form a complex with it.
(Synercid)  Binding of dalfopristin increases the binding affinity for
quinupristin & so the two agents act in synergy with
each other.
 Micellaneous (but important): Chloramphenicol (natural), Metronidazole (synthetic) and Nitrofurantoin (synthetic).