A catalytic carbohydrate contributes to bacterial antibiotic resistance.
Penicillins are widespread in nature and lethal to growing bacteria. Because of the severe threat posed by these antibiotics, bacteria have evolved a wide variety of strategies for combating them. Here, we describe one unusual strategy that involves the activity of a catalytic carbohydrate. We show that the cyclic oligosaccharide, beta-cyclodextrin (betaCD), can hydrolyze, and thereby inactivate, penicillin in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrate that this catalytic activity contributes to the antibiotic resistance of a bacterium that synthesizes this oligosaccharide in the laboratory. Taken together, these data not only expand our understanding of the biochemistry of penicillin resistance, but also provide the first demonstration of natural carbohydrate-mediated catalysis in a living system.
de Figueiredo
Paul
P
Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Box 357242, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. pjdefigueiredo@tamu.edu
Terra
Becky
B
Anand
Jasbir Kaur
JK
Hikita
Toshiyuki
T
Sadilek
Martin
M
Monks
Dave E
DE
Lenskiy
Anastasiya
A
Hakomori
Senitiroh
S
Nester
Eugene W
EW
D000667:Ampicillin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002384:Catalysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000378:metabolism
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; D000667:Ampicillin; D013213:Starch; D001618:beta-Lactamases