What is the mechanism of action of aminoglycosides?

Aminoglycosides primarily exert their antibacterial effect through the inhibition of protein synthesis. They accomplish this by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit of bacteria, which disrupts the initiation of protein synthesis and causes misreading of mRNA. This misreading leads to the production of nonfunctional or toxic proteins, ultimately resulting in bacterial cell death.

This mechanism is particularly effective against aerobic gram-negative bacteria, as aminoglycosides require oxygen for their uptake into the cells. The ability to inhibit protein synthesis distinguishes aminoglycosides from other classes of antibiotics that may target different cellular processes, such as cell wall synthesis or nucleic acid synthesis.