Biochemistry of Antimicrobial Action

In: Springer eBook Collection

Abstract

1 The Development of Antimicrobial Agents, Past, Present and Future -- The social and economic importance of antimicrobial agents -- An outline of the historical development of antimicrobial agents and of chemotherapeutic theories -- Reasons for studying the biochemistry of antimicrobial compounds -- Development of biochemical knowledge of antimicrobial action -- Scope and layout of the present book -- 2 The Bacterial Cell Wall — A Vulnerable Shield -- Functions of the wall -- Wall structure -- Structure and biosynthesis of peptidoglycan -- Antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis -- 3 Antiseptics, Antibiotics and the Cell Membrane -- Microbe killers: antiseptics and disinfectants -- Polypeptide antibiotics -- Ionophoric antibiotics -- Polyene antibiotics -- An inhibitor of membrane phospholipid biosynthesis -- 4 Inhibitors of Nucleic Acid Synthesis -- Compounds affecting the biosynthesis of nucleotide precursors -- Inhibitors of nucleic acid synthesis at the polymerization level -- 5 Inhibitors of Protein Synthesis -- Ribosomes -- Stages in protein biosynthesis -- Puromycin -- Inhibitors of aminoacyl-tRNA formation -- Inhibitors of initiation-complex formation and tRNA—ribosome interaction -- Inhibitors of peptide bond formation and translocation -- Nucleic acid synthesis during inhibition of protein synthesis -- Effects of inhibitors of 70S ribosomes on eukaryotic cells -- 6 Antifungal, Antiprotozoal and Antiviral Agents -- Compounds used to treat protozoal diseases -- Compounds used to treat fungal diseases -- Compounds used to treat virus diseases -- 7 Penetrating the Defences: How Antimicrobial Agents Reach Their Targets -- Cellular permeability barriers to drug penetration -- Some examples of modes of penetration of antimicrobial agents -- The exploitation of transport systems in the design of new antimicrobial agents -- 8 Resistance to Antimicrobial Drugs -- The genetics of drug resistance -- Spread of drug resistance by gene transfer -- Biochemical mechanisms of drug resistance -- Bacterial tolerance -- Practical approaches to the control of drug resistance.