- #1
STAii
- 327
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How do antibiotics actually attack the bacteria ?
How do they work ?
How do they work ?
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How do antibiotics actually attack the bacteria ?
- Thread starter STAii
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Discussion Overview
The discussion centers on the mechanisms by which antibiotics attack bacteria, exploring both the action of existing antibiotics and the development of new antibiotics for newly discovered bacterial strains. It encompasses theoretical explanations, practical applications, and considerations regarding antibiotic resistance.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
- Experimental/applied
Main Points Raised
- Some participants propose that antibiotics can disrupt bacterial cell walls by forming pores, leading to leakage of essential molecules and bacterial death.
- Others argue that antibiotics can enter bacterial cells and interfere with vital processes such as protein synthesis, DNA replication, and RNA synthesis by binding to specific proteins.
- It is noted that not all antibiotics kill bacteria; some are bacteriostatic, which means they prevent bacterial growth rather than killing the bacteria outright.
- Participants discuss the potential for antibiotic resistance to arise from mutations in membrane receptor genes, enzymes that degrade antibiotics, and pumps that expel antibiotics from bacterial cells.
- One participant raises the question of how to develop antibiotics for newly discovered bacteria, suggesting that classification (e.g., gram-positive or gram-negative) could guide the selection of appropriate antibiotics.
- Another participant elaborates that testing antibiotic sensitivity through methods like disc diffusion on agar plates is a common practice in medical microbiology labs.
- It is mentioned that the study of bacterial genomes and proteomes can provide insights into potential antibiotic targets and aid in the development of synthetic antibiotics.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a range of views on the mechanisms of antibiotic action and the development of new antibiotics, with no consensus reached on specific methodologies or the implications of antibiotic resistance.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include the dependence on existing knowledge of related bacteria for understanding new strains, as well as the potential side effects of antibiotics on humans and animals when used at high concentrations.
- #2
iansmith
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
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hi there,
antibiotic have a great range of action depending on the familly. Some antibiotic form pores on the cell wall and disrupt important gradient. therefore molecules and important leaks out and the bacteria dies. Some antibiotics will enter the cell via membrane receptor and interfere with the cell mechanism such as protein synthesis, DNA replication and RNA synthesis by binding to specific proteins. Most of these mechanism are require for the cell to live or to replicate.
Also not all antibiotic kill bacteria, (bacteriacide), some are bacteriastatics (prevent the grow of bacteria rather than killing).
To add more information, antibiotic resistance either arise from mutation in membrane receptor gene, enzyme that degrade antibitotic and pump that expell the antibitic out of the bacteria cell.
Hope this help
Ian
antibiotic have a great range of action depending on the familly. Some antibiotic form pores on the cell wall and disrupt important gradient. therefore molecules and important leaks out and the bacteria dies. Some antibiotics will enter the cell via membrane receptor and interfere with the cell mechanism such as protein synthesis, DNA replication and RNA synthesis by binding to specific proteins. Most of these mechanism are require for the cell to live or to replicate.
Also not all antibiotic kill bacteria, (bacteriacide), some are bacteriastatics (prevent the grow of bacteria rather than killing).
To add more information, antibiotic resistance either arise from mutation in membrane receptor gene, enzyme that degrade antibitotic and pump that expell the antibitic out of the bacteria cell.
Hope this help
Ian
- #3
STAii
- 327
- 1
So far so good.
Now suppose we have found a new kind of bacteria.
How will we develop an antibiotic for it ?
Will it by trial or there are some ways or knowing that a certain antibiotic will work on a certain bacteria (depending maybe on some charachteristics in the bacteria).
Thanks
Now suppose we have found a new kind of bacteria.
How will we develop an antibiotic for it ?
Will it by trial or there are some ways or knowing that a certain antibiotic will work on a certain bacteria (depending maybe on some charachteristics in the bacteria).
Thanks
- #4
iansmith
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
- 1,317
- 2
Keep in mind that if a new bacteria is discover very little information will be available. Most information will probably come from related bacteria but it does not mean that function observed in group are present in the new bacteria.
One way of knowing what kind of antibiotic to used would be to classified the bacteria (gram +, gram -, etc) because some antibitotic have narrow spectrum ( ex: penicillin is bacteriacidal for gram + only) whereas other have broad spectrum (ex: chloramphenicol and tetracyclines bacterialstatics against gram +, gram -, rickettsia and chlamydia). The classification would help to eliminate the antibitotic that do not work against this particular group.
The second step would be to test antibiotic sensivity of the new bacteria species. The most common antibiotics would be test first. These are perform by using small disc with a known concentration of a certain antibitotics on agar plates. It is also important to note that antibiotics can have nasty side effects on human and animals if used above a certain concentration.
This method is usually used by medical microbiology labs.
It is important to add that antibiotics are refferred to as antibacterial agents of microbial origin such as fungi and bacteria. Nowadays most antibiotic are synthetic and derived from original antibiotics.
The next step would be to study the bacteria and its function. It is also important to note that people developing new antibiotics used will use other tools such a bacterial genome and proteome. Bacterial genome and proteome give insigth of what the bacteria is producing and potential antibiotic and vaccine target (membrane receptor, ribosome, DNA polymerase, etc ) can be find. Synthetic antibiotic could be developed to attack these target. Antibiotic resistance can also be identify using the genome and proteome of bacteria.
Ian
One way of knowing what kind of antibiotic to used would be to classified the bacteria (gram +, gram -, etc) because some antibitotic have narrow spectrum ( ex: penicillin is bacteriacidal for gram + only) whereas other have broad spectrum (ex: chloramphenicol and tetracyclines bacterialstatics against gram +, gram -, rickettsia and chlamydia). The classification would help to eliminate the antibitotic that do not work against this particular group.
The second step would be to test antibiotic sensivity of the new bacteria species. The most common antibiotics would be test first. These are perform by using small disc with a known concentration of a certain antibitotics on agar plates. It is also important to note that antibiotics can have nasty side effects on human and animals if used above a certain concentration.
This method is usually used by medical microbiology labs.
It is important to add that antibiotics are refferred to as antibacterial agents of microbial origin such as fungi and bacteria. Nowadays most antibiotic are synthetic and derived from original antibiotics.
The next step would be to study the bacteria and its function. It is also important to note that people developing new antibiotics used will use other tools such a bacterial genome and proteome. Bacterial genome and proteome give insigth of what the bacteria is producing and potential antibiotic and vaccine target (membrane receptor, ribosome, DNA polymerase, etc ) can be find. Synthetic antibiotic could be developed to attack these target. Antibiotic resistance can also be identify using the genome and proteome of bacteria.
Ian
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