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Mode of Action of Penicillin

Nature volume 213, pages 183–184 (1967)Cite this article

Abstract

A BIOCHEMICAL explanation for the antimicrobial activity of penicillin has been proposed1. In this hypothesis the structure of penicillin was related to that of intermediates known to be involved in the synthesis of cell wall material2. It was suggested that penicillin interferes with a transpeptidation reaction responsible for the cross-linking of mucopeptide chains in the cell wall polymer. The reaction is represented as follows: The ability of penicillin to interfere with this reaction was attributed to its putative structural resemblance to the D-alanyl-D-alanine portion of the peptide chain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.

    BERNARD F. ERLANGER & LOUISE GOODE

Authors
  1. BERNARD F. ERLANGER
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  2. LOUISE GOODE
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ERLANGER, B., GOODE, L. Mode of Action of Penicillin. Nature 213, 183–184 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/213183a0

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