Synopses & Reviews
This stimulating new edition of the well-respected title Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action primarily covers medically important antimicrobial agents, but also includes some compounds not in current medical use, which have been invaluable as research tools in biochemistry.
Since the previous edition of this book, the impact of molecular biology on our understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobial action and drug resistance has evolved significantly. This is reflected in the books coverage, with new material dealing with the remarkable recent developments in unraveling the complex molecular details of drug interactions with such key targets as ribosomes and the enzymes of nucleic acid replication and microbial cell wall biosynthesis. The new addition also reviews key advances in the biochemistry and molecular biology of drug-resistant pathogens including viruses, parasitic protozoa, fungi, and the much feared superbugs such as MRSA.
Completely updated and rewritten, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action will be of great use to medical and biological sciences students taking courses in pharmacology, molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry and chemotherapeutics. Because of the wealth of information within the covers of this important book, all those involved in research into drug action and development, whether in the pharmaceutical industry or academia, will find Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action invaluable. It should also be on the shelves of all libraries, in university medical schools and departments of biological sciences, biochemistry, and pharmacology.
Review
From the reviews of the sixth edition: "This sixth edition builds on the successful formula of its predecessors with an accessible small format, clear diagrams and illustrations, key antibiotic structures and an engaging explanatory text. ... the great strength ... is that it has managed to convey the essentials of the topic without ... expanding in girth at each edition. ... this book remains the first port of call for those requiring an overview of the topic or seeking a starting point for more in-depth information on an unfamiliar antimicrobial." (Jonathan H Cove, British Toxicology Society Newsletter, Winter, 2005)
Synopsis
This stimulating new edition of the well-respected title Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action primarily covers medically important antimicrobial agents, but also includes some compounds not in current medical use which have been invaluable as research tools in biochemistry. Since the previous edition, of this book, the impact of molecular biology on our understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobial action and drug resistance has evolved significantly. This is reflected in the book's coverage with new material covering the remarkable recent developments in unraveling the complex molecular details of drug interactions with such key targets as ribosomes and the enzymes of nucleic acid replication and microbial cell wall biosynthesis. The new addition also reviews key advances in the biochemistry and molecular biology of drug-resistant pathogens including viruses, parasitic protozoa, fungi and the much feared 'superbugs' such as MRSA. Completely updated and rewritten, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action will be of great use to medical and biological sciences students taking courses in pharmacology, molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry and chemotherapeutics. Because of the wealth of information within the covers of this important book, all those involved in research into drug action and development, whether in the pharmaceutical industry or academia, will find Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action invaluable. It should also be on the shelves of all libraries, in university medical schools and departments of biological sciences, biochemistry and pharmacology.
Synopsis
Preface to the sixth edition x 1 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 1 1. 1 The social and economic importance of antimicrobial agents 1 1. 2 All outhne of the historical development of antimicrobial agents 2 1. 3 Reasons for studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of antimicrobial compounds 9 1. 4 Uncovering the molecular basis of antimicrobial action iO 1. 5 Current trends in the discovery of antimicrobial drugs 14 1. 6 . Scope and layout of the book 15 2 VULNERABLE SHIELDS THE CELL WALLS OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI 17 2. 1 Functions of the ceU wall 17 2. 2 . Structure of the bacterial wall 17 2. 3 Structure and biosynthesis of peptidoglycan 22 2. 4 Antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis 29 2. 5 Drugs that interfere with the biosynthesis of the cell wall of mycobacteria 39 2. 6 The fungal cell wall as a target for antifungal drugs 41 3 ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CELL MEMBRANES 47 3. 1 Microbe killers: antiseptics and disinfectants 47 3. 2 Cationic peptide antibiotics 52 3. 3 lonophoric antibiotics 54 3. 4 Antifungal agents that interfere with the function and biosynthesis of membrane sterols 59 4 INHIBITORS OF NUCLEIC ACID BIOSYNTHESIS 65 4. 1 Compounds affecting the biosynthesis and utilization of nucleotide precursors 66 4. 2 Nucleoside analogues 70 4. 3 Inhibitors of the reverse transcriptase of the human immunodeficiency virus 72 4. 4 Antibacterial inhibitors of topoisomerases 75 4."
Synopsis
This stimulating new edition of the well-respected title primarily covers medically important antimicrobial agents, but also includes some compounds not in current medical use, which have been invaluable as research tools in biochemistry. The book's coverage reflects the evolution of molecular biology's impact on our understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobial action and drug resistance. New material deals with the remarkable recent developments in unraveling the complex molecular details of drug interactions with key targets. The new addition also reviews key advances in the biochemistry and molecular biology of drug-resistant pathogens.
Synopsis
The subject is one of major interest in basic microbiology and infectious diseases and the book is a known classic.
Table of Contents
Preface.- Preface to the Sixth Edition.- Dedication.- The Development of Antimicrobial Agents Past, Present and Future.- Vulnerable Shields.- The Cell Walls of Bacteria and Fungi.- Antiseptics.- Antibiotics and the cell Membrane.- Inhibitors of Nucleic Acid Biosynthesis.- Inhibitors of Protein Biosynthesis.- Antimicrobial Drugs with Other Modes of Action.- Attack and Defense: Drug Transport Across Cell Walls and Membranes.- The Genetic Basis of Resistance to Antimicrobial Drugs.- Biochemical Mechanisms of Resistance to Antimicrobial Drugs.- Index.