The Sound of Evolution
Ciprofloxacin
Mechanism of action:
Ciprofloxacin is a second-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic and an inhibitor of DNA gyrase, which is bacterial topoisomerase II. Ciprofloxacin binds to the DNA gyrase-DNA complex and prevents the re-ligation of cleaved DNA generated by DNA gyrase. This causes the accumulation of double-stranded DNA breaks, halts DNA replication and transcription, and ultimately kills the bacterium.
Reference(s):
1. Drusano GL et al. (1986). Absolute oral bioavailability of ciprofloxacin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother.
2. van Geijlswijk IM et al. (2006). Reliable new high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of ciprofloxacin in human serum. Ther Drug Monit.
3. Rusch M et al. (2018). Biotransformation of ciprofloxacin by Xylaria longipes: Structure elucidation and residual antibacterial activity of metabolites. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol.