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Title: Describe the mode of action of the ?-lactam antibiotics. Post by: colleen on Mar 18, 2012 Describe the mode of action of the ?-lactam antibiotics.
Title: Re: Describe the mode of action of the ?-lactam antibiotics. Post by: sci_expert on Mar 19, 2012 You mean beta-lactam antibiotics specifically target PBPs in bacterial cells. Bound transpeptidases (also called penicillin-binding proteins, or PBPs) are unable to cross-link peptide chains, so the result of beta-lactam antibiotics is a cell with a weak cell wall. Cells without linked cell wall peptides will eventually be lysed due to an inability to withstand osmotic pressure differences.
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