Antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea mechanism for beta-lactam resistance. There have been over 200 beta-lactamases described and some of them are antibiotic specific. TEM-1 is a penicillinase specific for penicillins. This enzyme will bind to the beta-lactam ring which is a structural characteristic for beta-lactams and hydrolyze the ring. This renders the antibiotic inactive. The spread of the penicillinase resistance was much faster compared to the chromosomal-mediated resistance mechanisms. The plasmids containing TEM-1 could be passed from bacterium to bacterium via conjugation Quinolones are a class of synthetic antibiotics that inhibit DNA replication, recombination, and repair by interacting with the bacterial DNA gyrase and/or topoisomerase
Antibiotic synergy potential therapies is moving in three primary directions. Some research is devoted to finding combinations of extant antibiotics which when combined exhibit synergy. A classic example of this effect is the interaction between β-lactams, which damage the bacteria cell membrane, and aminoglycosides, which inhibit protein synthesis. The damage dealt to the cell wall by β-lactams allows more aminoglycoside molecules to be taken up into the cell than would otherwise be possible, enhancing cell damage. In some cases, antibacterial combinations restore potency to ineffective drugs. Other research has been devoted to finding antibiotic resistance breakers (ARB's) which enhance an antibiotic's potency.