penicillin

Examples of penicillin in the following topics:

• Beta-Lactam Antibiotics: Penicillins and Cephalosporins

  • The β-lactam ring is part of the core structure of several antibiotic families, the principal ones being the penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, and monobactams, which are, therefore, also called β-lactam antibiotics.
  • Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi.
  • They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V.
  • Penicillins are still widely used today, though many types of bacteria are now resistant.
  • All penicillins are β-lactam antibiotics and are used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms.

• Damage to the Cell Wall

  • An example of an antibiotic that interferes with bacterial cell wall synthesis is Penicillin.
  • Penicillin acts by binding to transpeptidases and inhibiting the cross-linking of peptidoglycan subunits.
  • Penicillin acts by binding to penicillin binding proteins and inhibiting the cross-linking of peptidoglycan subunits.

• Inhibiting Cell Wall Synthesis

  • This includes penicillin derivatives (penams), cephalosporins (cephems), monobactams, and carbapenems. β-Lactam antibiotics are bacteriocidal and act by inhibiting the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls .
  • The final step in the synthesis of the peptidoglycan is facilitated by penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs).
  • PBPs vary in their affinity for binding penicillin or other β-lactam antibiotics.
  • Diagram depicting the failure of bacterial cell division in the presence of a cell wall synthesis inhibitor (e.g. penicillin, vancomycin).1- Penicillin (or other cell wall synthesis inhibitor) is added to the growth medium with a dividing bacterium.2- The cell begins to grow, but is unable to synthesize new cell wall to accommodate the expanding cell.3- As cellular growth continues, cytoplasm covered by plasma membrane begins to squeeze out through the gap(s) in the cell wall.4- Cell wall integrity is further violated.

• Origins of Antimicrobial Drugs

  • Before penicillin became a viable medical treatment in the early 1940s, no true cure for gonorrhea, strep throat, or pneumonia existed.
  • The discovery of antimicrobials like penicillin by Alexander Fleming and tetracycline paved the way for better health for millions around the world.
  • Before penicillin became a viable medical treatment in the early 1940s, no true cure for gonorrhea, strep throat, or pneumonia existed.
  • In 1928 Alexander Fleming observed antibiosis against bacteria by a fungus of the genus Penicillium and postulated the effect was mediated by an antibacterial compound, penicillin, and that its antibacterial properties could be exploited for chemotherapy.

• Antibiotic Classifications

  • Examples include the Beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin derivatives (penams) ), cephalosporins (cephems), monobactams, and carbapenems) and vancomycin.
  • Penicillin and most other β-lactam antibiotics act by inhibiting penicillin-binding proteins, which normally catalyze cross-linking of bacterial cell walls.

• Allergic Responses to Drugs

  • The most reported drug allergy is to Beta-lactam antibiotics, of which penicillin is the most well-known type, affecting 1-5% of people who take penicillin.
  • Additionally the allergic reaction may not even be due to the penicillin, as dyes and other chemicals added to antimicrobial drugs may in fact cause the allergic response instead.
  • Taken together, recent studies show that perhaps only 1/5 people who suspect they have an allergy to penicillin do indeed have such an allergy.

• Relative Resistance of Microbes

  • In addition, they are naturally resistant to a number of antibiotics that disrupt cell-wall biosynthesis, such as penicillin.
  • Examples include Pseudomonas spp. which are naturally resistant to penicillin and the majority of related beta-lactam antibiotics.
  • It was one of the earlier bacteria in which penicillin resistance was found—in 1947, just four years after the drug started being mass-produced.

• Antibiotic Discovery

  • Alexander Fleming observed antibiosis against bacteria by a fungus of the genus Penicillium and postulated the effect was mediated by an antibacterial compound named penicillin whose antibacterial properties have been widely exploited for chemotherapy.
  • Fleming postulated the effect was mediated by an antibacterial compound named penicillin, and that its antibacterial properties could be exploited for chemotherapy.

• Synthetic Antimicrobial Drugs

  • The discovery of antimicrobials like penicillin and tetracycline paved the way for better health for millions around the world.
  • Before penicillin became a viable medical treatment in the early 1940s, no true cure for gonorrhea, strep throat, or pneumonia existed.

• Edible Fungi

  • The first antibiotic used in modern medicine, penicillin, was isolated form Penicillium mold.
  • Even before the discovery of penicillin, people used blue cheese to prevent gangrene in wounds.