Sulfamethoxazole (SMX)

Sulfamethoxazole is a synthetic sulfonamide bacteriostatic antibiotic structurally similar to para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). It competitively inhibits dihydropteroate synthetase, an enzyme crucial for bacterial folate synthesis, thereby blocking folic acid production required for bacterial DNA synthesis and cell replication. When combined with trimethoprim (as co-trimoxazole), it is effective against a wide range of bacterial infections and some protozoal infections. Sulfamethoxazole is only a drug; it is neither an endogenous biological molecule nor a therapeutic target[1][2][3][7][9]. Important context: The molecular target of sulfamethoxazole is the bacterial enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase (also called dihydropteroate synthase), not sulfamethoxazole itself[7]. If you are seeking information about the drug’s actual target, you should query for "dihydropteroate synthetase" (or "dihydropteroate synthase"), which is the biomolecular target in bacteria for sulfamethoxazole and other sulfonamides. Summary: Sulfamethoxazole is a drug, NOT a therapeutic biomolecular target; the actual therapeutic target relevant to this drug is the bacterial enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase[1][2][7][9].

Other names

SMXSMZSulphamethoxazoleCo-trimoxazole (with trimethoprim)Bactrim (with trimethoprim)Septra (with trimethoprim)N1-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)sulfanilamide