Which antibiotic class is beta-lactam and inhibits cell wall synthesis?

Which antibiotic class is beta-lactam and inhibits cell wall synthesis?

• A. Monobactams
• B. Macrolides
• C. Tetracyclines
• D. Lincosamides

Answer: (A)

Beta-lactam antibiotics work by binding to penicillin-binding proteins and blocking the transpeptidation step of peptidoglycan synthesis, which weakens and eventually ruptures the bacterial cell wall during growth. Monobactams are a beta-lactam class with a monocyclic beta-lactam ring, so they share this mechanism and inhibit cell wall synthesis in a similar way to other beta-lactams. The other options disrupt bacterial protein synthesis rather than the cell wall: macrolides, tetracyclines, and lincosamides target ribosomal subunits and inhibit protein production, not cell wall construction.

Beta-lactam antibiotics work by binding to penicillin-binding proteins and blocking the transpeptidation step of peptidoglycan synthesis, which weakens and eventually ruptures the bacterial cell wall during growth. Monobactams are a beta-lactam class with a monocyclic beta-lactam ring, so they share this mechanism and inhibit cell wall synthesis in a similar way to other beta-lactams. The other options disrupt bacterial protein synthesis rather than the cell wall: macrolides, tetracyclines, and lincosamides target ribosomal subunits and inhibit protein production, not cell wall construction.