Fluoroquinolones inhibit a process essential to bacterial replication by targeting DNA gyrase. What is the consequence?

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Prepare for the WGU NURS1010 Microbiology Exam with engaging study materials, flashcards, and multiple choice questions. Enhance your understanding with detailed explanations and insights. Get exam-ready today!

Multiple Choice

Fluoroquinolones inhibit a process essential to bacterial replication by targeting DNA gyrase. What is the consequence?

Explanation:
Fluoroquinolones target DNA gyrase, an enzyme that introduces negative supercoils and relieves torsional strain ahead of the replication fork. When gyrase is inhibited, DNA becomes overly supercoiled and the replication machinery cannot proceed, so DNA replication is halted and the cell cannot copy its genome. This is why the consequence is inhibition of DNA replication. Other choices correspond to different antibiotic actions: protein synthesis at the 50S ribosome is blocked by agents like macrolides, disruption of the cell membrane potential by certain polymyxins, and RNA transcription is inhibited by rifamycins.

Fluoroquinolones target DNA gyrase, an enzyme that introduces negative supercoils and relieves torsional strain ahead of the replication fork. When gyrase is inhibited, DNA becomes overly supercoiled and the replication machinery cannot proceed, so DNA replication is halted and the cell cannot copy its genome. This is why the consequence is inhibition of DNA replication.

Other choices correspond to different antibiotic actions: protein synthesis at the 50S ribosome is blocked by agents like macrolides, disruption of the cell membrane potential by certain polymyxins, and RNA transcription is inhibited by rifamycins.

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