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Mechanism of Action
Penicillins are β-Lactam antibiotics. This means that they interfere with the synthesis of peptidoglycan, a crucial component of the bacterial cell wall. Penicillins bind to proteins on the bacteria and then inhibit a transpeptidation enzyme, whose role is to cross-link peptides attached to the peptiglycan backbone. This weakens the bacterial cell wall integrity.
The penicillins also inactivate an inhibitor of autolytic enzymes present in the cell wall, thus resulting in lysis of the bacterium.