MECHANISM OF ACTION

Agents that inhibit synthesis of bacterial cell walls e.g. Penicillins & Cephalosporin
Agents that act directly on the cell membrane of the microorganism, increasing permeability and leading to leakage of intracellular compounds, including detergents such as polymyxin; polyene antifungal agents (e.g., nystatin and amphotericin B) which bind to cell-wall sterols; and the lipopeptide daptomycin
Agents that disrupt function of 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits to reversibly inhibit protein synthesis, which generally are bacteriostatic (e.g., chloramphenicol, the tetracyclines, erythromycin, clindamycin, streptogramins, and linezolid)
Agents that bind to the 30S ribosomal subunit and alter protein synthesis, which generally are bactericidal (e.g., the aminoglycosides)


Agents that affect bacterial nucleic acid metabolism, such as the rifamycins (e.g., rifampin and rifabutin), which inhibit RNA polymerase, and the quinolones, which inhibit topoisomerases
Antimetabolites, including trimethoprim and the sulfonamides, which block essential enzymes of folate metabolism. There are several classes of antiviral agents
nucleic acid analogs, such as acyclovir or ganciclovir, which selectively inhibit viral DNA polymerase, and zidovudine or lamivudine, which inhibit HIV reverse transcriptase
non-nucleoside HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as nevirapine or efavirenz;
inhibitors of other essential viral enzymes, e.g., inhibitors of HIV protease or influenza neuraminidase;
fusion inhibitors such as enfuvirtide