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    Chembiochem. 2008 Sep 1;9(13):2081-6.

    Mechanism of binding of fluoroquinolones to the quinolone resistance-determining region of DNA gyrase: towards an understanding of the molecular basis of quinolone resistance.

    Madurga S, Sánchez-Céspedes J, Belda I, Vila J, Giralt E.

    Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.

    We have studied the bacterial resistance to fluoroquinolones that arises as a result of mutations in the DNA gyrase target protein. Although it is known that DNA gyrase is a target of quinolone antibacterial agents, the molecular details of the quinolone-gyrase interaction remain unclear. The mode of binding of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin to DNA gyrase was analyzed by means of docking calculations over the surface of the QRDR of GyrA. The analysis of these binding models allows study of the resistance mechanism associated with gyrA mutations more commonly found in E. coli fluoroquinolone-resistant strains at the atomic level. Asp87 was found to be critical in the binding of these fluoroquinolones because it interacts with the positively charged nitrogens in these bactericidal drugs. The role of the other most common mutations at amino acid codon Ser83 can be explained through the contacts that the side chain of this residue establishes with fluoroquinolone molecules. Finally, our results strongly suggest that, although Arg121 has never been found to be associated with fluoroquinolone resistance, this residue makes a pivotal contribution to the binding of the antibiotic to GyrA and to defining its position in the QRDR of the enzyme.

    PMID: 18677735 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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    • Ciprofloxacin (Cipro®, Cipro® XR, Proquin® XR)

      Ciprofloxacin is used to treat or prevent certain infections caused by bacteria. Ciprofloxacin is also used to treat or prevent anthrax (a serious infection that may be spread on purpose as part of a bioterror attack) in...

    • Levofloxacin (Levaquin®)

      Levofloxacin is used to treat certain infections such as pneumonia chronic bronchitis and sinus, urinary tract, kidney, prostate (a male reproductive gland), and skin infections. Levofloxacin is also used to prevent anth...

    • Moxifloxacin (Avelox®)

      Moxifloxacin is used to treat certain infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus, skin, and abdominal (stomach area) infections caused by bacteria. Moxifloxacin is in a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolon...