Clindamycin is a semi-synthetic antibiotic that is related to lincomycin, which is a naturally occurring lincosamide from the organism Streptomyces lincolnensis. Clindamycin has largely replaced lincomycin as treatment as it has better properties. It can be taken orally in a capsule, as a cream, or an injection intravenously or intramuscularly. This antibiotic is used to treat a variety of infections including and not limited to bone or joint infections, strep throat, ear infections, pneumonia and acne. It mainly targets anaerobic bacteria, gram-positive cocci and bacilli and gram-negative bacilli meaning it has a very narrow spectrum of activity. Clindamycin's mechanism of action works by inhibiting the 23S rRNA which is a component of the 50S subunit of bacteria ribosomes. Clindamycin resembles the L-Pro-Met-tRNA which can bind within the subunit, but in Clindamycin's case, it inhibits further protein synthesis. It impedes both the assembly of the ribosomal subunits as well as initiation dissociation of peptidyl-tRNA from the ribosomes halting translation. Sometimes Clindamycin is administered with other antibiotics that can interrupt cell membranes allowing their entry, as well as clindamycin can also just be administered by itself and taken up in transporters.

Clindamycin Anti-Bacterial Pathway References