How do you explain to your friend why tetracycline treated her infection but penicillin did
not?
Mycoplasma pneumoniaeis an RNA virusso is not impacted by penicillin, an inhibitor of DNAsynthesis.
However, tetracycline which interferes with DNA replication, so destroys this infectious agent.
Mycoplasma pneumoniaehas no proteins so is not impacted by penicillin, an inhibitor
ofproteinsynthesis. However, the organism carries out peptidoglycan synthesis, so is affected by
tetracycline, which interferes with this process.
Mycoplasma pneumoniaehas no lipopolysaccharide so is not impacted by penicillin, an inhibitor
ofphospholipidsynthesis. However, the organism carries out protein synthesis, so is affected by
tetracycline, which interferes with this process.
Mycoplasma pneumoniaeis a Gram-positive cell, so has a peptidoglycan layer too thick to be impacted
by penicillin. It can only be treated with tetracycline, which is a much stronger antibiotic.
Mycoplasma pneumoniaehas no cell wall so is not impacted by penicillin, an inhibitor
ofpeptidoglycansynthesis. However, the organism carries out protein synthesis, so is affected by
tetracycline, which interferes with this process.