A medical trainee is reviewing why certain antibiotics fail
despite being effective against typical Gram‑positive organisms. Vancomycin is
known to inhibit cell wall synthesis in many Gram‑positive bacteria, yet it shows
little activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis .

Which feature of Mycobacterial cell biology most
directly explains this lack of efficacy?

Question

A medical trainee is reviewing why certain antibiotics fail
despite being effective against typical Gram‑positive organisms. Vancomycin is
known to inhibit cell wall synthesis in many Gram‑positive bacteria, yet it shows
little activity against  Mycobacterium tuberculosis .

Which feature of Mycobacterial cell biology most
directly explains this lack of efficacy?

Accepted Answer

A
uniquely structured cell envelope that prevents vancomycin from accessing its
target

Answer

Enzymatic
degradation of vancomycin within the cytoplasm

Answer

Production
of altered penicillin‑binding proteins that reduce drug binding

Answer

High-level
expression of multidrug efflux pumps specific to glycopeptide antibiotics

Crowdly

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