Question

Antibiotics should inhibit bacterial cell growth without generating side effects in the human patient, but that is not always the case. Some antibiotics that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to bacterial ribosomes induce negative side effects in patients. What is the most likely cause of these side effects?

Choose one:

A.   The antibiotics interfere with mitochondrial ribosomes.

B.   The antibiotics interfere with ribosomes attached to the ER, impairing RER function.

C.   The antibiotics interfere with cytoplasmic ribosomes.

D.   The antibiotics interfere with chloroplast ribosomes.

Answer 1

Option A is correct.

The antibiotics interfare with mitochondrial ribosomes and cause mitochondrial dysfunction and causes oxidative damage in cell by producing toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) via disruption of tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and electron transport chain (ETC). It blocks mitochondrial peptide synthesis wiyhout blocking protein synthesis by cytoplasmic ribosomes. Antibiotics target mitochondria and chloroplast because they are thought to be originated from bacteria by endosymbiosis.

Because mitochondria is power house of cell and it is quite active, overproduction of ROS leads to accumulation of oxidative tissue damage. ROS can directly interact with cellular components resulting in the damage of DNA, protein, and lipid.

But here we are talking about patients so we can't consider chloroplast because it is found in plants.

Thus, antibiotics interfare with mitochondrial ribosomes and cause side effects.