Question

When a eukaryotic organism (such as a human) gets a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics work by targeting prokaryotic cells without targeting eukaryotic cells. This is possible due to molecular differences between the two cell types that enable specific targeting of molecules in prokaryotic cells but not eukaryotic ones. The effects of different categories of antibiotics are listed below. For each one, explain how this would affect prokaryotic cells and why.

1. Some antibiotics disable ribosome function. How would this affect prokaryotic cells, and why?
2. Some antibiotics disable DNA topoisomerase. How would this affect prokaryotic cells, and why?
3. Some antibiotics prevent peptidoglycan synthesis. How would this affect prokaryotic cells, and why?

Answer 1

1. Main function of ribosome is protein synthesis and proteins are vital for living of bacteria. So when antibiotics disable ribosome function, protein synthesis stops which halts various cellular process leading to death of bacterium(prokaryotic cell).

2. DNA topoisomerase is important enzyme for DNA replication and DNA replication is important for multiplication of bacteria. When antibiotics disable protein topoisomerase, bacterial multiplication stops and bacterial infection is prevented.

3. Peptidoglycan provides strength to cell wall and subsequently to bacterium. When antibiotics prevent peptidoglycan synthesis, the cell wall becomes weak, subsequently cell wall weakness and disruption in cell wall leads to bacterial(prokaryotic) cell death.