How do beta lactamase inhibitors work?
1 Answer
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.
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.
(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.
