How do beta lactamase inhibitors work?

1 Answer
Jul 8, 2016

β-Lactamase inhibitors work by blocking the activity of β-lactamase enzymes.

Explanation:

Some species of bacteria, such as MRSA, (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) develop resistance to β-lactam (penicillin-like) antibiotics by producing enzymes called β-lactamases.

The β-lactamases act by hydrolyzing the amide linkage of the β-lactam ring.

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Breaking the β-lactam ring deactivates the antibiotic, and the microorganism then becomes resistant to that antibiotic.

To overcome this resistance, β-lactam antibiotics such as amoxicillin are often combined with a β-lactamase inhibitor like clavulanic acid.

Clavulanic acid
(From iverson.cm.utexas.edu)

The clavulanic acid acts as a “suicide molecule”.

It binds strongly to β-lactamases and deactivates them.

The amoxicillin can then attack the bacteria that have not yet developed resistance.