Ian Chopra, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
David Greenwood, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Published online: April 2001
DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001992
Antibacterial agents alleviate infection through a variety of modes of action including the inhibition of protein, nucleic acid and cell wall synthesis.
Keywords: antibiotics; antibacterial agents; mechanism of action; therapy; treatment of infection
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Figure 1. Bacterial cell, showing possible targets for selective attack.
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Figure 2. The cell envelope of a Gram-positive bacterium. Note that not all the components shown occur in every strain of Gram-positive bacterium. P, protein; PL, phospholipid. Flagella are not illustrated. The secondary wall polymer is frequently teichoic acid. Reproduced with permission from Hancock I and Poxton I (1988) Bacterial Cell Surface Techniques. London: John Wiley & Sons.
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Figure 3. The cell envelope of a Gram-negative bacterium. LP, lipoprotein; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; P, protein; PL, phospholipid. Flagella are not illustrated. Reproduced with permission from Hancock I and Poxton I (1988) Bacterial Cell Surface Techniques. London: John Wiley & Sons.
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Figure 4. Sites of action of inhibitors of bacterial cell wall syntheses. NAMA, N-acetylmuramic acid; NAG, N-acetylglucosamine. Reproduced with permission from Greenwood D, Slack RCB and Peutherer JF (eds) (1997) Medical Microbiology, 15th edn. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
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Figure 5. Bacterial protein synthesis, showing the steps that are inhibited by various antibacterial agents.
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| Further Reading | |
| Chopra I and Brennan P (1998) Molecular action of anti-mycobacterial agents. Tubercle and Lung Disease 78: 89–98. | |
| book Greenwood D (ed.) (1995) Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. | |
| Hancock REW and Lehrer R (1998) Cationic peptides: a new source of antibiotics. Trends in Biotechnology 16: 82–88. | |
| book O'Grady F, Lambert HP, Finch RG and Greenwood D (eds) (1997) Antibiotic and Chemotherapy, 7th edn. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. | |
| book Pratt WB and Fekety R (1986) The Antimicrobial Drugs. Oxford: Oxford University Press. | |
| book Russell AD and Chopra I (1996) Understanding Antibacterial Action and Resistance, 2nd edn. London: Ellis Horwood. | |
| book Williams RAD, Lambert PA and Singleton P (1996) Antimicrobial Drug Action. Oxford: Bios Scientific Publishers. | |
| Wyckoff TJO, Raetz CRH and Jackman JE (1998) Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents that target endotoxin. Trends in Microbiology 6: 154–159. | |
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