The Sound of Evolution
Sulfadiazine
Mechanism of action:
Sulfadiazine is a sulfonamide antibiotic. Structurally, sulfadiazine resembles para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which is an essential precursor for bacterial folic acid synthesis. Sulfadiazine competitively binds to dihydropteroate synthase in place of para-aminobenzoic acid, thereby blocking the formation of dihydrofolic acid and ultimately interfering with bacterial nucleic acid synthesis.
Reference(s):
1. de Araujo MV et al. (2008). Sulfadiazine/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin host-guest system: Characterization, phase-solubility and molecular modeling. Bioorg Med Chem.
2. Iliades P et al. (2005). Mutations in the Pneumocystis jirovecii DHPS gene confer cross-resistance to sulfa drugs. Antimicrob Agents Chemother.
3. Prabhu V et al. (1997). Arabidopsis dihydropteroate synthase: general properties and inhibition by reaction product and sulfonamides. Phytochemistry.