title: Structure-activity relationships in the beta-lactam family: an impossible dream.
abstract: The difficulty of establishing structure-activity relationships in the beta-lactam family of antibiotics stems from the fact that: (1) The targets in various bacteria exhibit widely different sensitivities. (2) Some bacteria produce beta-lactamases, enzymes capable of destroying the antibiotics. The rates of the reactions with the beta-lactamases and the target enzymes are not necessarily related. (3) In Gram-negative bacteria, the diffusion rate through the outer membrane varies independently from the two other factors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Enzymologie et Service de Microbiologie, Université de Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Frère
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joris
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Varetto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crine
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000378:metabolism; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047090:beta-Lactams; D001618:beta-Lactamases