A male patient returned last weekend from a vacation in Kenya where he went on safari with his wife. He presents with fever, chills, headache, nausea, and weakness. On examination he is found to have an enlarged lymph node in his groin, which is tender. A sample of blood taken from the patient shows a capsulated, bipolar-staining, gram-negative rod present in the bloodstream. The physician begins treatment of the patient with chloramphenicol immediately.
B. How does the antibiotic above interact with bacterial cells?
Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that interferes with bacterial protein synthesis. It works by binding to the bacterial ribosome, specifically the 50S subunit, inhibiting the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids and blocking the elongation of bacterial proteins. This ultimately leads to inhibition of bacterial growth and the eventual death of the bacterial cells. Chloramphenicol has a broad spectrum of activity and is effective against many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as several anaerobic bacteria.
