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. 1992 Oct 22;359(6397):700-5.
doi: 10.1038/359700a0.

Molecular structure of the acyl-enzyme intermediate in beta-lactam hydrolysis at 1.7 A resolution

N C Strynadka  1 , H Adachi, S E Jensen, K Johns, A Sielecki, C Betzel, K Sutoh, M N James
Affiliations

Molecular structure of the acyl-enzyme intermediate in beta-lactam hydrolysis at 1.7 A resolution

N C Strynadka et al. Nature. .

Abstract

The X-ray crystal structure of the molecular complex of penicillin G with a deacylation-defective mutant of the RTEM-1 beta-lactamase from Escherichia coli shows how these antibiotics are recognized and destroyed. Penicillin G is covalently bound to Ser 70 0 gamma as an acyl-enzyme intermediate. The deduced catalytic mechanism uses Ser 70 0 gamma as the attacking nucleophile during acylation. Lys 73 N zeta acts as a general base in abstracting a proton from Ser 70 and transferring it to the thiazolidine ring nitrogen atom via Ser 130 0 gamma. Deacylation is accomplished by nucleophilic attack on the penicilloyl carbonyl carbon by a water molecule assisted by the general base, Glu 166.

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  • Drug ring bust.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Nature. 1992 Oct 22;359(6397):674. doi: 10.1038/359674a0. Nature. 1992. PMID: 1436027 No abstract available.

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