chemistry

Glycylcycline

Glycylcycline is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Glycylcycline rather than just read about it. In short: Glycylcyclines are a class of antibiotics derived from tetracycline. These tetracycline analogues are specifically designed to overcome two common mechanisms of tetracycline resistance, namely resistance mediated by acquired efflux pumps and/or ribosomal protection.

Key takeaways

Glycylcycline belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Glycylcycline to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Glycylcycline from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Glycylcyclines are a class of antibiotics derived from tetracycline. These tetracycline analogues are specifically designed to overcome two common mechanisms of tetracycline resistance, namely resistance mediated by acquired efflux pumps and/or ribosomal protection. Presently, tigecycline is the only glycylcycline approved for antibiotic use.

History The development of these agents was spurred by the increasing prevalence of bacteria resistant to tetracyclines. These agents were first synthesized in the early 1990s by making modifications to the tetracyclines. By adding a bulky N,N-dimethylglycylamido side chain to position 9 of minocycline, the compound became less susceptible to tetracycline resistance mediated by acquired efflux pumps and/or ribosomal protection. Further development of this initial work led to the creation of tigecycline, the first glycylcycline available for clinical use.

Approvals Tigecycline (FDA approved May 27, 2005)

Mechanism of action Glycylcycline antibiotics have a similar mechanism of action as tetracycline antibiotics. They block protein synthesis hence preventing bacterial reproduction. Both classes of antibiotics bind to the 30S ribosomal subunit to prevent the amino-acyl tRNA from binding to the A site of the ribosome. However, the glycylcyclines appear to bind more effectively than the tetracyclines.

Mechanisms of resistance While glycylcyclines have greater efficacy against organisms with tetracycline resistance mediated by acquired efflux pumps and/or ribosomal protection, glycylcyclines are not effective against organisms with chromosomal efflux pumps, such as Pseudomonas and Proteae.

Side effects and contraindications Since glycylcyclines are similar to tetracyclines, they share many of the same side effects and contraindications as tetracyclines. These side effects may include nausea/vomiting, headache, photosensitivity, discoloration of growing teeth, and fetal damage. These antibiotics should not be given to pregnant women due to risk of fetal harm. Additionally, these drugs should not be administered during periods of tooth development because of the risk of tooth discoloration. Due to glycylcyclines' similarities with tetracyclines, hypersensitivity reactions to tetracycline antibiotics may predispose one to hypersensitivity reactions with glycylcycline antibiotics; hence, glycylcyclines should be used with caution in these patients.

References

Smith KL, McCabe SM, Aeschlimann JR (August 1, 2005). "Tigecycline: A novel glycylcycline antiobiotic". Formulary. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2005.

External links Tygacil (tigecycline IV) manufacturer website. Zhanel GG, Homenuik K, Nichol K, et al. (2004). "The glycylcyclines: a comparative review with the tetracyclines". Drugs. 64 (1): 63–88. doi:10.2165/00003495-200464010-00005. PMID 14723559. S2CID 46964579. RxList.com list of adverse reactions to Tigecycline

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Glycylcycline

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Glycylcycline claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Glycylcycline before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Glycylcycline ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Glycylcycline

In research: Glycylcycline appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Glycylcycline in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Glycylcycline is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Glycylcycline antibiotics, Tetracyclic compounds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Glycylcycline outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Glycylcycline” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Glycylcycline in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Glycylcycline means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Glycylcycline out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Glycylcycline in simple terms?

Why does Glycylcycline matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Glycylcycline?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Glycylcycline.