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Question
Biology
Posted 6 months ago
Describe the mechanism of inhibition of sulfa drugs
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Answer from Sia
Posted 6 months ago
Answer
Sulfa drugs inhibit the synthesis of folic acid in bacteria, which is essential for their growth and multiplication.
Solution
a
Competitive inhibition of PABA: Sulfa drugs are structurally similar to para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a substrate necessary for the bacterial synthesis of folic acid
b
Inhibition of dihydropteroate synthase: Sulfa drugs compete with PABA for the active site of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase, which is critical in the folic acid synthesis pathway
c
Blockage of folic acid synthesis: By inhibiting dihydropteroate synthase, sulfa drugs prevent the production of dihydrofolic acid, an essential precursor to folic acid
d
Resulting in bacterial growth inhibition: Without folic acid, bacteria cannot synthesize DNA, RNA, and proteins effectively, leading to inhibition of bacterial growth and multiplication
Key Concept
Sulfa drugs act as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase in the folic acid synthesis pathway of bacteria.
Explanation
By resembling the substrate PABA, sulfa drugs competitively inhibit the enzyme that is crucial for bacterial folic acid synthesis, leading to a halt in bacterial growth due to the inability to synthesize vital components.

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