Question

What chemicals or proteins can prevent cell wall synthesis in bacterial cells???

Answer 1

Inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis:
1. Beta-lactam antibiotics inhibit the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan layer.
Examples: Penicillin, Cephalosporin, Carbapenem, and Monobactums.

2. Glycopeptide antibiotics are cyclic non-ribosomal peptides that inhibit cell wall synthesis in susceptible microorganisms. These glycopeptides bind to amino acids within the cell wall and prevent the further addition of incoming amino acids.
Examples: Bleomycin, Decaplanin, Ramoplanin, Vancomycin, Teicoplanin, and Telavancin.

Bacteria often evolve resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics by producing beta-lactamase enzyme.
So, Beta-lactam antibiotics are often administered along with beta-lactamase inhibitors such as clavulanic acid.

Bacitracin is a cyclic peptide isolated from Bacillus subtilis. It inhibits the synthesis of linear strands of NAM and NAG