Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic.
Like penicillin, it acts to prevent cell wall formation in Gram-positive bacteria but it binds with the substrate (
terminal dipeptide D-alanyl-D-alanine of peptidoglycan precursors) instead of inactivating the enzyme that cross-links these units.
It consists of sugars joined to amino-acids, connected in rings. The amino-sugar vancosamine and D-glucose are attached to
hydroxy phenyl glycine which has loops formed from (mostly unusual) amino acids.
Click below to highlight sections of the molecule,
or hold down left mouse button and drag over it to move it in 3-D.