UKMLA PLAB AMC USMLE Prometric MCQ

Question Number 0812

Question:
A 56 year old white male has a history of chronic kidney disease. He notices the onset of weakness and a respiratory complaints consitisting of a dry cough. He develops fevor and rigors. Direct fluorescent antibody testing of his respiratory secretions confirms the diagnosise of Legionnaires' diseasea. He is started on a course of erythromycin. What is the role of erythromycin in this patient?

a) inhibits transcription of DNA by RNA polymerase
b) binds the 50 S subunit of the bacterial ribosome and therefore inhibits protein synthesis
c) damage the cell membrane by detergent action
d) blocks the function of RNA
e) mechanism is not known