Which antibiotic is a member of the lincosamines?

Which antibiotic is a member of the lincosamines?

• A. Clindamycin
• B. Gentamicin
• C. Metronidazole
• D. Tobramycin

Answer: (A)

Lincosamides are a class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit and blocking the translocation step, which stops the growing peptide chain. Clindamycin is the representative drug in this class. Because it targets anaerobes and many Gram-positive cocci, including some strains of Staphylococcus aureus, it’s a typical choice when those organisms are involved or when anaerobic coverage is needed. The other options come from different antibiotic families. Gentamicin and tobramycin are aminoglycosides that bind the 30S subunit and cause misreading of mRNA; they’re generally used for aerobic Gram-negative infections and have a different spectrum and mechanism. Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole that becomes activated in anaerobic organisms to damage DNA, also not part of the lincosamide class. So the drug that fits as a member of the lincosamines is clindamycin.

Lincosamides are a class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit and blocking the translocation step, which stops the growing peptide chain. Clindamycin is the representative drug in this class. Because it targets anaerobes and many Gram-positive cocci, including some strains of Staphylococcus aureus, it’s a typical choice when those organisms are involved or when anaerobic coverage is needed.

The other options come from different antibiotic families. Gentamicin and tobramycin are aminoglycosides that bind the 30S subunit and cause misreading of mRNA; they’re generally used for aerobic Gram-negative infections and have a different spectrum and mechanism. Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole that becomes activated in anaerobic organisms to damage DNA, also not part of the lincosamide class.

So the drug that fits as a member of the lincosamines is clindamycin.