Erythromycin is an example of which class?

Erythromycin is an example of which class?

• A. Macrolide
• B. Penicillin
• C. Tetracycline
• D. Fluoroquinolone

Answer: (A)

Antibiotics are grouped by how they work and their chemical structure. Erythromycin falls into the macrolide class because it is a large macrocyclic lactone antibiotic with sugar components that binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit. This binding blocks the translocation step of protein synthesis, so the bacteria can’t make proteins needed to grow. This mechanism is distinct from penicillins, which disrupt cell wall synthesis; from tetracyclines, which block the 30S subunit and prevent tRNA attachment; and from fluoroquinolones, which inhibit DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV to stop DNA replication. The macrolide structure and mechanism explain erythromycin’s typical use against many Gram-positive organisms and certain atypical pathogens.

Antibiotics are grouped by how they work and their chemical structure. Erythromycin falls into the macrolide class because it is a large macrocyclic lactone antibiotic with sugar components that binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit. This binding blocks the translocation step of protein synthesis, so the bacteria can’t make proteins needed to grow. This mechanism is distinct from penicillins, which disrupt cell wall synthesis; from tetracyclines, which block the 30S subunit and prevent tRNA attachment; and from fluoroquinolones, which inhibit DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV to stop DNA replication. The macrolide structure and mechanism explain erythromycin’s typical use against many Gram-positive organisms and certain atypical pathogens.