scholarly journals Specific interaction between beta-lactams and soluble penicillin-binding protein 2a from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: development of a chromogenic assay.

1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 2075-2079 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Roychoudhury ◽  
R E Kaiser ◽  
D N Brems ◽  
W K Yeh

We investigated the enzymatic acylation of penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP 2a) from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by beta-lactams. Using a purified, soluble form of the protein (PBP 2a'), we observed beta-lactam-induced in vitro precipitation following first-order kinetics with respect to protein concentration. We used electrospray mass ionization spectrometry to show that the protein precipitate predominantly contained PBP 2a', with the beta-lactam bound to it in a 1:1 molar ratio. Using nitrocefin, a chromogenic beta-lactam, we confirmed the correlation between PBP 2a' precipitation and its beta-lactam-dependent enzymatic acylation by monitoring the absorbance associated with the precipitate. Finally, dissolving the precipitate in urea, we developed a simple in vitro chromogenic assay to monitor beta-lactam-dependent enzymatic acylation of PBP 2a'. This assay represents a significant improvement over the traditional radioactive penicillin-binding assay.

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 610-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Tattevin ◽  
L. Basuino ◽  
D. Bauer ◽  
B. A. Diep ◽  
H. F. Chambers

ABSTRACT Beta lactam agents are the most active drugs for the treatment of streptococci and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis. However, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is resistant to all beta lactam agents licensed to date, and alternative treatments are limited. Ceftobiprole is a novel broad-spectrum cephalosporin that binds with high affinity to PBP 2a, the penicillin binding protein that mediates the methicillin resistance of staphylococci and is active against MRSA. Ceftobiprole was compared to vancomycin, daptomycin, and linezolid in a rabbit model of MRSA aortic valve endocarditis caused by the homogeneously methicillin-resistant laboratory strain COL. Residual organisms in vegetations were significantly fewer in ceftobiprole-treated rabbits than in any other treatment group (P < 0.05 for each comparison). In addition, the numbers of organisms in spleens and in kidneys were significantly lower in ceftobiprole-treated rabbits than in linezolid- and vancomycin-treated animals (P < 0.05 for each comparison). Anti-MRSA beta lactam agents such as ceftobiprole may represent a significant therapeutic advance over currently available agents for the treatment of MRSA endocarditis.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 5005-5012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Berti ◽  
George Sakoulas ◽  
Victor Nizet ◽  
Ryan Tewhey ◽  
Warren E. Rose

ABSTRACTThe activity of daptomycin (DAP) against methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is enhanced in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of antistaphylococcal β-lactam antibiotics by an undefined mechanism. Given the variability in the penicillin-binding protein (PBP)-binding profiles of different β-lactam antibiotics, the purpose of this study was to examine the relative enhancement of DAP activity against MRSA by different β-lactam antibiotics to determine if a specific PBP-binding profile is associated with the ability to enhance the anti-MRSA activity of DAP. We determined that both broad- and narrow-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics known to exhibit PBP1 binding demonstrated potent enhancement of DAP anti-MRSA activity, whereas β-lactam antibiotics with minimal PBP1 binding (cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, cefaclor, and cefotaxime) were less effective. We suspect that PBP1 disruption by β-lactam antibiotics affects pathways of cell division inS. aureusthat may be a compensatory response to DAP membrane insertion, resulting in DAP hypersusceptibility.


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