Antibiotics Flashcards
Semi-synthetic antimicrobial agents are
based on naturally occurring molecules (e.g. penicillin), modified to alter pharmacological properties (kinetics, toxicity, modify its spectrum)
(…and make $$$ off patents)
bacteriostatic antimicrobial agents
halt growth of bacteria such that they are stuck in a premature stationary phase
Bactericidal antimicrobial agents
Kill bacteria (a 3-log reduction or 99.9% reduction in population)
Tetracycline
- four-ringed antibiotic
- 1940s
- typhis fever tx
- short half life
- rapidly excreted in kidney and bile
- tf take 4x day
- lead to better derivatives (doxycycline, minocycline)
Beta-lactam antibiotics
- square is beta-lactam ring
- ‘house’ contains variable atom (S, O, or C) and variable bond (single, double)
- not initially used as antibiotics; used to stop undesireable bacterial growth in cultures
- 1940s soldiers getting infections –> explored use as antibiotics
- carbapenam was the last to be discovered (1976)
penicillin G
- naturally occurring (true antibiotic)
- effective mainly against G+ cocci and bacilli, and G- cocci
- acid labile (destroyed in stomach) –> intramuscular admin
- dosage has increased due to resistance
- led to development of penV (acid stabile)
- Common targets (G&V): G+ rods, T. pallidum
Ampicillin
- 1960s
- widened spectrum: active against G+ c & b, G- c and G- b
- orally
- amoxycillin is essentially the same (made when patent ran out)
- more soluble in the outer membrane tf can act on more G-ve bacteria
- susceptible to b-lactamases
- Common targets: G- rods, enterococci, Listeria
Amoxycillin
- new patent of ampicillin
- microbiologically the same
- G+ and G - rods and bacilli (broad spectrum)
- susceptible to b-lactamases
- Common targets: G- rods, enterococci, Listeria
Methicillin
- acts on resisitant Staph aureus
- injection
- nephrotoxic
- not used anymore
- replaced by flucoxacillin and dicloxacilin
Flucloxacillin
- used in place of methicillin in kids
- anti-staphylococcal (narrow spectrum)
- Common targets: staphylococci except MRSA
Dicloxicillin
- used in place of methicillin in adults
- anti-staphylococcal (narrow spectrum)
- Common targets: staphylococci (except MRSA)
MRSA
- methicillin-resistant staphlococcus aureus
- resistant to all B-lactams
- has an altered penicillin binding protein (PBP)
- produces mecA
- it doesn’t destroy penicillin; produces something it won’t bind to and then it can still make functional cell walls
- no beta-lactam can bind to it
- produces mecA
carbenicillin
- used against pseudomonas aeuriginosa (esp. in leukemia pt)
- opportunistic antigen
- resistant to many antiobiotics
- infecting leukemia pt post-bone marrow transplants
- no longer used bc needed large doses & to be injected IV
- use ticarcillin and piperacillin derivatives
* = targets specific bacteria
beta-lactams and glycopeptides target
the cell wall & peptidoglycan synthesis
the cell wall/peptidoglycan synthesis is the target of
beta lactams and glycopeptides
polymyxins and polynes target the
cytoplasmic membrane
very toxic due to similarity to our membranes
polyenes are naturally occuring antifungal antibiotics
polyenes
act on the cytoplasmic membrane of fungi
naturally occurring
best antifungals
the cytoplasmic membrane is targeted by
polymyxins and polyenes (fungi)
ribosomes are targeted by
aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol
aminoglycosides and cholramphenicol target the
ribosomes
nucleic acids are targeted by
rifamycins, quinolones
particularly target transcription
rifamycins and quinolones target
nucleic acid metabolism (e.g. transcription)
folic acid is the target of
sulphonamides, trimethoprim
sulphonamides and trimethoprim target
folic acid
What comprises the backbone of peptidoglycan?
N-acetyl clucosamine and N-acetyl muramic acid
What joins the backbones of peptidoglycan?
Peptide chains (4AAs) attached to N-acetyl myramic acid
join to
pentapeptide bridges attached to N-acetyl glucosamine
What is the mechanism of synthesis of peptidoglycan?
- precursors synthesized from intermediates in cyroplasm
- immobilised on inner plasma membrane
- synthesis of building block - has 2 terminal D-ala
- transported to exterior membrane
- linked to growing PTG chain (see card on cross-linking)
What is the mechanism of cross-linking PTG?
- Last step of PTG synthesis
- Pentaglycine att. to L-Lys (before terminal di-D-ala) knocks off another terminal D-ala and attaches to sub-terminal D-ala
- enzymes: carboxypeptidase, glycopeptidase, endopeptidase, etc.
- collectively: penicillin binding proteins
Vancomycin
- 1950s
- glycopeptide family (targets cell wall)
- binds to the terminal D-alanine in PTG synthesis
- blocks all transpeptidase enzymes/PBPs from recognizing their target D-ala
- large number of charged groups tf insoluble in lipid
- cannot get through outer membrane
- tf only active on G+ bacteria
- expensive, toxic, initally not widely used relative to penicillin
- used more now as G+ develop resisitance to penicillin, methicillin (e.g. MRSA)
- drug of choice for MRSA
- suicide inhibitor, bactericidal
Enterococci
- G+ cocci
- normal flora in gut
- opportunistic pathogens
-
resistant to vancomycin
- D-lac (sugar) replaces terminal D-ala
- tf vancomycin cannot bind
- huge impact if this resistance is transferred to MRSA
VSSA
Vancomycin-susceptible staph aureus (normal s. aureus bacteria)
smooth surface on SEM
VISA
vancomycin intermediate (partially resistant) staph aureus
‘furry’ on SEM
How do VISA become resistant to vancomycin?
- Create more PTG to soak up vancomycin
- Enough left over to form normal cell wall
- Boxes up vancomycin
- Increasing vancomycin dosage has nasty side effects
By what mechanisms to beta-lactams/Penicillin G interfere with PTG synthesis?
- b-lactam ring (e.g. Penicillin G) is similar to the D-ala–D-ala peptide bond
- b-lactams then bind the PBPs that catalyze PTG synthesis here
- can’t hydrolyze the bond
- suicide inhibitor: renders itself & the enzyme useless
- bactericidal
- as is vancomycin
- leads to self-destruction by overproduction of autolytic enzymes to destroy the cell wall
- cell becomes hypertonic, swells, and bursts
- counteracted by b-lactamase which hydrolyze the similar b-lactam bond
Beta-lactamases
- Produced by bacteria
- Hydrolyzes the bond that looks like D-ala–D-ala on b-lactam –> falls apart
- chromosomally encoded in Pseudomonas aueriginosa, giving them Penicillin G, ampicillin - everything but carbenicillin
- staph aureus had rare b-lactamase producing strains prior to penicillin usage
- enriched through penicillin use
- MRSA resistant to beta-lactamase
- can bind with clavulanic acid, a suicide inhibitor of b-lactamases
Pseudomonas aureginosa
- G- rod
- produces chromosomally-encoded B-lactamase
- destroys both ampicillin and penicillin G
- carbecillin, ticarcillin is resistant to it
Clavulanic acid
- beta-lactam antibiotic
- weak antibacterial, can’t be used alone
- when b-lactamase (from E. coli or S. aureus) binds to it, it becomes a suicide inhibitor of those b-lactamases because they cannot break it down
- inhibits plasma-encoded beta-lactamases (e.g. E. coli, S. aureus)
- does not inhibit chromosomally-encoded beta-lactamases (e.g. P. aureginosa)
- can be mixed with amoxycillin (metabolised in the same way bc both b-lactams), called co-amoxyclav/Augmentin
- clavulanic acid destroys the bacterial b-lactamase
- allows amoxycillin to work
- can be mixed with ticarcillin (P. aureginosa) = Ticarcillin
What are the two types of beta-lactamases?
-
plasmid-encoded like in S. aureus, responsible for acquired resisitance
- INHIBITED by clavulanic acid
-
chromosomally-encoded like P. aureginosa
- NOT INHIBITED by clavulanic acid