Interaction of clavulanate with class C beta-lactamases

Abstract

The interactions between clavulanate and three class C enzymes have been studied in detail. In all cases, the reactions followed branched pathways where 25-150 turnovers occurred before inactivation was completed. Reactivation rates were quite low. The poor efficiency of clavulanate as a class C inactivator appeared to rest upon a very slow acylation of the protein, and of a relatively high turnover rate.