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How Penicillin Kills Bacteria
Penicillin kills bacteria by interfering with the ability to synthesize cell wall. In this sequence, Escherichia coli were incubated in penicillin for 30 minutes. The bacteria lengthen, but cannot divide. Eventually the weak cell wall ruptures (last panel). You can view the bursting bacteria in a 610K time-lapse movie. To learn more about how penicillin works be sure to check out " What the Heck is Penicillin" at Jack's "Bugs in the News".
Improper antibiotic use selects for populations of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Some bacteria avoid the effect of penicillin by the production of penicillinase, an enzyme that destroys penicillin. A current threat is Methicillin-Resistant Staph aureus (MRSA). Methicillin is a β-lactam antibiotic which acts on cell wall production much like penicillin. MRSA produce β-lactamase which selectively destroys methicillin thereby protecting the bacteria. For more information on how bacteria such as Staph aureus become resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics see the excellent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) site "The Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections".
Want to show how penicillin works in your classroom? Download a longer, larger, silent version of the penicillin movie.
Some Keywords:
superbug, methicillin resistant Staph aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, antibiotic misuse, vancomycin resistant Enterococcus, cephalosporin, penicillinase, antibiotic resistance
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