Bacterial resistance to antibiotics: Enzymatic degradation and modification

Antibiotic resistance can occur via three general mechanisms: prevention of interaction of the drug with target, efflux of the antibiotic from the cell, and direct destruction or modification of the compound. This review discusses the latter mechanisms focusing on the chemical strategy of antibiotic inactivation; these include hydrolysis, group transfer, and redox mechanisms. While hydrolysis is especially important clinically, particularly as …