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.

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.

The development of antimicrobial agents, past, present and future.- Vulnerable shields-the cell walls of bacteria and fungi.- Antimicrobial agents and cell membranes.- 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.