Question

Describe the structural features of cephalosporins and the mechanism of their action.

Answer 1

Cephalosporins are a class of beta-lactam antibiotics. The antibiotic has the core four-membered β-lactam ring bonded to a six-membered dihydrothiazine ring. Cephalosporins inhibit the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall by mimicking the D-Ala-D-Ala site of the peptidoglycan precursors preventing the binding of the penicillin-binding protein required for the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall.