Penicillins activate autolysins extracted from both Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae envelopes.
Ampicillin at a 50-mug/ml concentration effects a doubling of the autolysis rate of cell envelopes isolated from Klebsiella pneumoniae Mir A12. This antibiotic increases also by two- to threefold the depolymerizing activity of both K. pneumoniae and Escherichia coli crude extracts on a labeled peptidoglycan-lipoprotein complex. Several other penicillins also activate autolysins.
D001433:Bacteriolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000201:enzymology*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010406:Penicillins