A 28-year-old woman presents with non-gonococcal urethritis. Chlamydia trachomatis infection is suspected. Doxycycline is prescribed as first-line therapy. Tetracyclines accumulate in which intracellular compartment of the infected host cell to reach the obligate intracellular organism?
- A Mitochondria
- B Inclusion bodies and cytosol ✓
- C Endoplasmic reticulum
- D Nucleus
Correct answer: B. Inclusion bodies and cytosol
Explanation
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that replicates within membrane-bound inclusion bodies in the host cell cytoplasm. Tetracyclines including doxycycline penetrate host cells and concentrate in the cytosol and within these inclusions, achieving levels sufficient to inhibit the organism. Option A (mitochondria) is a distractor based on structural similarity between bacterial and mitochondrial ribosomes, but it is not the clinically relevant site for anti-Chlamydial action.
Reference: Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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