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How do aminoglycoside antibiotics stop bacteria from making proteins?
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Aminoglycoside antibiotics stop bacteria from making proteins by binding to ribosomes, which are the cellular organelles responsible for protein synthesis.1
Once these antibiotics are transported into the bacterial cell, they interfere with the function of these ribosomes. By binding to them, the drugs effectively inhibit the synthesis of new proteins. Because proteins are fundamental to the life of the cell, this inhibition prevents the production of new bacterial cells and ultimately leads to the death of the bacterium.12