Abstract
Azospirillum lipoferum is a soil microorganism that has been shown to be resistant to penicillins. It has been suggested that resistance is due to the presence of a β-lactamase activity, but no conclusive evidence has been reported. The incubation of benzylpenicillin, or nitrocephin with either wholeAzospirillum cells or cell-free extracts was accompanied, by hydrolysis of the β-lactam ring of the antibiotics. Such hydrolytic activity exhibited Michaelis and Menten-like kinetics. The enzyme was produced at a low, basal level that was increased approximately 50 times by the addition of benzylpenicillin, an increase that was completely blocked by chloramphenicol or rifampicin.
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Boggio, S.B., Diaz Ricci, J.C., de Mendoza, D. et al. Demonstration of the presence of an inducibleβ-lactamase inAzospirillum lipoferum . Current Microbiology 18, 33–35 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568827
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568827