title: Molecular basis of antibiotic resistance and beta-lactamase inhibition by mechanism-based inactivators: perspectives and future directions.
abstract: Antibacterial chemotherapy is particularly striking in the family of penicillins and cephalosporins. Over 40 structurally different beta-lactam molecules are available in 73 formulations and the majority of them are currently prescribed for medical use in hospitals. beta-Lactams are well tolerated by humans with few side effects. They interact very specifically with their bacterial target, the D-alanyl-D-alanine carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase usually referred to as DD-peptidase. The outstanding number of beta-lactamases produced by bacteria represent a serious threat to the clinical utility of beta-lactams. The discovery of beta-lactamase inhibitors was thought to solve, in part, the problem of resistance. Unfortunately, bacteria have evolved new mechanisms of resistance to overcome the inhibitory effects of beta-lactamase inactivators. Here, we summarize the diversified mechanistic features of class A beta-lactamases interactions with mechanism-based inhibitors using available microbiological, kinetic and structural data for the prototype TEM beta-lactamases. A brief historical overview of the strategies developed to counteract beta-lactamases will be presented followed by a short description of the chemical events which lead to the inactivation of TEM beta-lactamase by inhibitors from different classes. Finally, an update on the clinical prevalence of natural and inhibitor-resistant enzyme mutants, the total chemical synthesis to design and synthesize a new structure and produced a broad spectrum beta-lactamase inhibitor that mimics the beta-lactam ring, but does not contain it is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Microbiologie Moléculaire et Génie des Protéines, Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, G1K 7P4, Ste-Foy, Que., Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Therrien
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Levesque
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D047090:beta-Lactams; D001618:beta-Lactamases