Editing Macrolide (section)

===Antibacterial===
Macrolides are [[protein synthesis inhibitor]]s. The [[mechanism of action]] of macrolides is [[enzyme inhibitor|inhibition]] of bacterial [[protein biosynthesis]], and they are thought to do this by preventing [[peptidyltransferase]] from adding the growing peptide attached to [[Transfer RNA|tRNA]] to the next amino acid<ref name="pharmamotion">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081226204524/http://pharmamotion.com.ar/protein-synthesis-inhibitors-macrolides-mechanism-of-action-animation-classification-of-agents/ Protein synthesis inhibitors: macrolides mechanism of action animation. Classification of agents] Pharmamotion. Author: Gary Kaiser. The Community College of Baltimore County. Retrieved on July 31, 2009</ref> (similarly to [[chloramphenicol]]<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Drainas D, Kalpaxis DL, Coutsogeorgopoulos C | title = Inhibition of ribosomal peptidyltransferase by chloramphenicol. Kinetic studies | journal = European Journal of Biochemistry | volume = 164 | issue = 1 | pages = 53–8 | date = April 1987 | pmid = 3549307 | doi = 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1987.tb10991.x }}</ref>) as well as inhibiting [[bacterial translation|bacterial ribosomal translation]].<ref name=pharmamotion/> Another potential mechanism is premature dissociation of the [[peptidyl-tRNA]] from the ribosome.<ref name="lovmar">{{cite journal | vauthors = Tenson T, Lovmar M, Ehrenberg M | title = The mechanism of action of macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B reveals the nascent peptide exit path in the ribosome | journal = Journal of Molecular Biology | volume = 330 | issue = 5 | pages = 1005–14 | date = July 2003 | pmid = 12860123 | doi = 10.1016/S0022-2836(03)00662-4 }}</ref>

Macrolide antibiotics bind reversibly to the P site on the [[50S]] subunit of the bacterial [[ribosome]]. This action is considered to be [[bacteriostatic]]. Macrolides are actively concentrated within [[White blood cell|leukocytes]], and thus are transported into the site of infection.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bailly S, Pocidalo JJ, Fay M, Gougerot-Pocidalo MA | title = Differential modulation of cytokine production by macrolides: interleukin-6 production is increased by spiramycin and erythromycin | journal = Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy | volume = 35 | issue = 10 | pages = 2016–9 | date = October 1991 | pmid = 1759822 | pmc = 245317 | doi = 10.1128/AAC.35.10.2016 }}</ref>