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The Sound of Evolution
Cefoxitin
Mechanism of action:
Cefoxitin is a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic and is also commonly classified as a cephamycin. The β-lactam ring of Cefoxitin can bind to bacterial penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), inhibiting their transpeptidase activity and preventing peptidoglycan chains from cross-linking. As a result, the bacterial cell wall becomes structurally weak, and the bacterium eventually undergoes lysis and dies due to osmotic pressure.
Reference(s):
Matsuhashi M et al. (1978). Enzymatic studies on the mechanism of action of cefoxitin: Correlation between the affinities of cefoxitin to penicillin-binding proteins and its rates of inhibition of the respective penicillin-sensitive reactions in E. coli. J Antibiot (Tokyo).
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