UKMLA PLAB AMC USMLE Prometric MCQ

Question Number 0811

Question:
A 45 year old female has a long history of a heart murmer. She develops a fever of 101 accompanied by chills. Her doctor thinks that her heart murmer has changed markedly since her last visit. Echo of her heart shows vegetations on her mitral valve. Further diagnosis confirms that she has enteroccal endocarditis. She is treated with penicillin G and gentamicin. Why is the role of gentamycin in this case?

a) inhibit protein synthesis by binding the 30 S subunit of the bacterial ribosome
b) inactivate transpeptidases and therefore inhibit the synthesis of the cell wall
c) block DNA synthesis
d) inhibit mitosis
e) inhibit the synthesis of folic acid