Ws. Champney et R. Burdine, MACROLIDE ANTIBIOTIC INHIBITION OF TRANSLATION AND 50S RIBOSOMAL-SUBUNIT ASSEMBLY IN METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS CELLS, Microbial drug resistance, 4(3), 1998, pp. 169-174
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cells were treated with th
ree macrolide antibiotics to examine the inhibitory effect of the drug
s on the growth rate and cell viability. Inhibition of protein synthes
is and 50S ribosomal subunit assembly were also examined. The growth r
ate and cell viability were reduced by each antibiotic in both erythro
mycin-susceptible and erythromycin-resistant MRSA organisms. Translati
on and the formation of the 50S ribosomal subunit were inhibited to an
equal extent in the erythromycin-susceptible cells, but protein synth
esis was affected to a greater extent by each macrolide in the erythro
mycin-resistant organisms. Clarithromycin was the most inhibitory of t
he three compounds, followed by erythromycin and azithromycin in relat
ive effectiveness. The use of these compounds against MRSA organisms i
s discussed.