What is the mechanism of action of enrofloxacin?

Enrofloxacin functions primarily as a DNA gyrase inhibitor, which makes it a member of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic class. DNA gyrase is an essential enzyme that introduces negative supercoils into DNA, a crucial process for DNA replication, transcription, and repair. By binding to DNA gyrase, enrofloxacin effectively disrupts the DNA supercoiling process, leading to interference with the DNA replication machinery. This results in bactericidal activity, as the bacterial cell cannot successfully proliferate or respond to cellular damage.

The other mechanisms mentioned, like protein synthesis inhibition, cell wall synthesis inhibition, and nucleic acid synthesis inhibition, pertain to different classes of antibiotics. For instance, protein synthesis inhibitors target the ribosomes to prevent translation, which is distinct from the action of enrofloxacin. Similarly, cell wall synthesis inhibitors typically act on the peptidoglycan layer in bacteria, while broad nucleic acid synthesis inhibitors would affect RNA and DNA synthesis more generically, not specifically targeting DNA gyrase. Understanding this mechanism is essential for effectively utilizing enrofloxacin in treating infections caused by susceptible bacteria, particularly in veterinary medicine.