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DNA Replication and Bacterial Infections

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Ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and acyclovir are used to treat microbial infections. Ciprofloxacin inhibits DNA gyrase. Erythromycin binds in front of the A site on the 50S subunit of a ribosome. Acyclovir is a guanine analog.

What steps in protein synthesis are inhibited by each drug?
Which drug is more effective against bacteria? Why?
Which drug is more effective against viruses? Why?
Which drugs will have effects on the host's cells? Why?
Use the index to identify the disease for which acyclovir is used. Why is it more effective than erythromycin for treating this disease?

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DNA Replication and Bacterial Infections

Ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and acyclovir are used to treat microbial infections. Ciprofloxacin inhibits DNA gyrase. Erythromycin binds in front of the A site on the 50S subunit of a ribosome. Acyclovir is a guanine analog.

What steps in protein synthesis are inhibited by each drug?
Ciprofloxacin- it inhibits bacterial nuclear DNA synthesis, so that bacteria rapidly die. The target is the enzyme DNA gyrase (topoisomerase II), which is responsible for the supercoiling and uncoiling of the DNA. Supercoiling of the DNA allows the long DNA molecule to fit into the cell. Uncoiling of the structure is the initiative step for replication, transcription and repair of the DNA. Thus, prolonged inhibition will eventually lead to the death of the cell.

Erythromycin - Erythromycin, an antibiotic that inhibits the synthesis of vital proteins in susceptible bacteria, may be either bacteriostatic (i.e., ...

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