Microbiology
Quinolones convert topoisomerase into a DNA-cleaving complex that when encountered by replication forks results in double-strand breaks; rapidly replicating cells are therefore more likely to convert these complexes into lethal lesions.
Quinolones trigger viral lytic cycles in bacteria which then cause DNA breaks, so replication per se is not involved in the mechanism of bacterial death.
Quinolones methylate histone proteins and cause chromosomal compaction during mitosis, which is a eukaryotic-specific process and unrelated to bacterial replication.
Quinolones inhibit ribosomal function which indirectly prevents replication only during stationary phase, making replication-state irrelevant to their lethal action.
