What is the mechanism of action for fluoroquinolones?

Fluoroquinolones are a class of antibiotics that specifically target bacterial DNA replication. Their mechanism of action involves the inhibition of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, both of which are essential enzymes for the process of DNA supercoiling and replication in bacteria. By disrupting these enzymes, fluoroquinolones prevent the unwinding and subsequent replication of bacterial DNA, ultimately inhibiting bacterial growth and proliferation.

This action is critical since it effectively stops bacteria from reproducing, which is essential in the treatment of bacterial infections. Other mechanisms of action mentioned in the other choices involve different therapeutic targets: inhibiting protein synthesis is primarily the role of antibiotics like aminoglycosides and tetracyclines; inhibiting cell wall synthesis is characteristic of penicillins and cephalosporins; and inactivating enzymes for viral replication pertains to antiviral medications like nucleoside analogs. Thus, the choice correlating with fluoroquinolones accurately identifies their specific and unique mechanism of action.