Minocycline, the most lipid soluble and most active tetracycline antibiotic, is a long-acting tetracycline. Minocycline passes directly through membrane lipid bilayers or travels through porin channels in the bacterial membrane. Like other tetracyclines, minocycline binds to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit and prevents tRNA from binding to the A site on the ribosome complex; this likely occurs via steric hindrance. Binding inhibits bacterial protein synthesis and inhibits further bacterial growth and colonization.
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