BRAINCAKEDNA Gyrase Inhibitors
Bacterial DNA is a long, circular molecule packed into a small cell. When the double helix is unwound for replication or transcription, the DNA ahead of the unwinding point becomes overwound (supercoiled), which would stop the process. The enzyme DNA gyrase relieves this tension. It cuts both strands of the DNA, passes another part of the double helix through the gap, and then rejoins the strands. DNA gyrase is a type of topoisomerase found in bacteria.
Quinolones, and the newer fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin, inhibit DNA gyrase. They bind to the enzyme while it is attached to cut DNA, and stop it rejoining the strands. As a result:
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Key terms in this lesson
- efflux pump
- A membrane transport protein that actively pumps a drug or toxin out of a cell, lowering its concentration inside.
More in Bacteria and Disease
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- Protein synthesis Inhibitors
- Cell Wall Agents
- Cell Membrane Agents
- Antibiotic Resistance
- Creating Drug-Resistant Bacteria
- MRSA
- Clostridium difficile
All 30 lessons in Bacteria and Disease · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics