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Multiple Choice
Which of the following drugs inhibits nucleic acid synthesis specifically in most bacteria?
A
Erythromycin
B
Tetracycline
C
Amoxicillin
D
Ciprofloxacin
Verified step by step guidance
1
Begin by understanding the mechanism of action for each drug listed. Erythromycin and Tetracycline are known to inhibit protein synthesis, not nucleic acid synthesis.
Erythromycin works by binding to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, preventing the translocation of the peptide chain, thus inhibiting protein synthesis.
Tetracycline binds to the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, blocking the attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA to the mRNA-ribosome complex, also inhibiting protein synthesis.
Amoxicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that inhibits cell wall synthesis by binding to penicillin-binding proteins, disrupting peptidoglycan cross-linking.
Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that specifically inhibits bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, enzymes critical for DNA replication and transcription, thus inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis.