Description
Methicillin is β-lactam antibiotic of the penicillin family. It has a narrow-spectrum, primarily targeting gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. It is often used to study susceptibility and resistance of bacteria to antimicrobials, especially methicillin-resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Methicillin is inactivated by gastric acid.
Penicillins are a type of β-lactam antibiotic consisting of a four-membered β-lactam ring bound to a five-membered thiazolidine ring. This two-ring system causes distortion of the β-lactam amide bond, resulting in decreased resonance stabilization and increased reactivity. β-lactams inhibit the formation of peptidoglycan cross-links within bacterial cell walls by targeting penicillin-binding proteins or PBPs. Consequently, the bacterial cell wall becomes weak and cytolysis occurs. Resistance to β-lactam antibiotics occurs in the presence of cells containing plasmid encoded extended spectrum β-lactamases or ESBLs.
Antibiotics are often used in clinical in vitro tests known as antimicrobial susceptibility tests or ASTs to determine their efficacy against certain bacterial species. They are tested against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria using panels, discs, and MIC strips by medical microbiologists. ASTs decrease the risk of using an antibiotic against bacteria exhibiting resistance to it, and the results are used in clinical settings to determine which antibiotic(s) to prescribe for various infections.
Product Specifications
Methicillin Sodium
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY GRADE
Formula: C17H19N2NaO6S
MW: 402.40 g/mol
Storage/Handling: Store at -20°C. Product is light sensitive.
PubChem Chemical ID: 23667627
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