Which antibiotic works by targeting bacterial ribosomes?

Tetracycline is an antibiotic that effectively targets bacterial ribosomes, specifically the 30S subunit of the ribosome, inhibiting protein synthesis. This interaction prevents the translation process from occurring, thereby halting bacterial growth and proliferation. By binding to the ribosomal RNA within the 30S subunit, tetracycline blocks the attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome, which is crucial for the incorporation of new amino acids into the growing peptide chain.

Other antibiotics, such as penicillin, ciprofloxacin, and vancomycin, have different mechanisms of action. Penicillin works by inhibiting cell wall synthesis, targeting the enzymes involved in the synthesis of peptidoglycan, which is essential for bacterial cell wall structural integrity. Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, interferes with bacterial DNA replication by targeting DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, enzymes crucial for maintaining DNA structure and replication. Vancomycin also inhibits cell wall synthesis but does so by binding to the D-alanyl-D-alanine terminus of the peptidoglycan precursors, preventing their incorporation into the cell wall.

Thus, tetracycline's unique mechanism of targeting ribosomes distinguishes it from the other