TABLE 1.

Systemic monotherapeutic antibacterials and their targets

Class	Target	Function inhibited
β-Lactams	PBPs	Peptidoglycan synthesis
Glycopeptides	d-Ala-d-Ala of lipid II	Peptidoglycan synthesis
Macrolides	rRNA of 50S ribosome subunit	Protein synthesis
Lincosamides	rRNA of 50S ribosome subunit	Protein synthesis
Chloramphenicol	rRNA of 50S ribosome subunit	Protein synthesis
Oxazolidinones	rRNA of 50S ribosome subunit	Protein synthesis
Tetracyclines	rRNA of 30S ribosome subunit	Protein synthesis
Aminoglycosidesa	rRNA of 30S ribosome subunit	Protein synthesis/ mistranslation
Fluoroquinolones	Topoisomerases (DNA gyrase, topoisomerase IV)	DNA replication
Daptomycin	Membranes
Metronidazole	DNA

^aStreptomycin, an aminoglycoside, is an exception in that it targets a ribosomal protein, and single-step resistance can occur by mutation in its gene, rpsL.