Which one of the following antibiotics binds to penicillin-binding protein-2 (PBP-2)?: (A) Penicillin, (B) Amdinocillin, (C) Amphotericin, (D) Chloramphenicol
Answer is B. The antibiotics in these questions have significantly different modes of action. Recent evidence suggests that while penicillin inhibits the final cross-linking of the cell wall, it also binds to penicillin-binding proteins and inhibits certain key enzymes involved in cell-wall synthesis. The mechanism is complex. Amdinocillin, although classified as a penicillin, selectively binds to penicillin-binding protein-2 (PBP-2). Binding to PBP-2 results in aberrant cell-wall elongation and spherical forms, seen when E. coli, for example, is exposed to mecillinam.