Antimicrobial
Glycylcyclines (tigecycline)
Tetracycline derivative evading tet resistance
gly-sil-SY-kleens
High-yield clue
Tigecycline binds the 30S ribosome more tightly than tetracyclines, so it overcomes tet efflux pumps and ribosomal protection.
Overview
A tetracycline-derived protein-synthesis class represented by tigecycline, studied for a bulky D-9 side chain that lets it evade classic tetracycline resistance mechanisms.
Classification
- Protein-synthesis inhibitor
- Binds 30S ribosomal subunit
- Bacteriostatic
- Broad Gram-positive/Gram-negative/anaerobe spectrum
Lab & identification clues
- Evades TetB efflux pump vocabulary
- Overcomes ribosomal protection (tetM/tetO) concept
- Limited activity against Pseudomonas and Proteus
Associations
- Multidrug-resistant organism reserve vocabulary
- Low serum concentrations (tissue distribution) concept
- Derived from minocycline scaffold
Commonly confused with
- Tetracyclines
- Chloramphenicol
Your notes
Original mechanism summary for microbiology study. Sources checked: CDC antimicrobial-resistance guidance, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and standard coursework frameworks; reviewed 2026-06. Covers class, mechanism, and resistance vocabulary only; no prescribing, dosing, or patient-specific treatment guidance.