penicillinase
Definition
Noun: An enzyme, specifically a beta-lactamase, produced by some bacteria. This enzyme breaks down the beta-lactam ring in penicillin molecules, rendering the antibiotic ineffective and conferring bacterial resistance to it.
Usage
The term is used primarily in medical, microbiological, and pharmacological contexts to describe a specific mechanism of antibiotic resistance. * The bacterial infection was difficult to treat because the strain produced penicillinase. * The presence of penicillinase can be detected through specific laboratory tests. * Some antibiotics are formulated with penicillinase inhibitors to overcome this type of resistance.
Advanced Usage
- Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG): A clinical term for strains of the gonorrhea bacterium that are resistant to penicillin due to this enzyme.
- The gene encoding for penicillinase is often carried on plasmids, facilitating its spread between different bacterial species.
Variants and Related Words
- Beta-lactamase (n): The broader class of enzymes that inactivate beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillins, cephalosporins). Penicillinase is a type of beta-lactamase.
- Penicillinase-resistant (adj): Describing antibiotics, like methicillin or oxacillin, that are not easily broken down by this enzyme.
- Penicillinase-producing (adj): Used to describe bacteria that create this enzyme.
Synonyms
- Beta-lactamase (in the specific context of penicillin inactivation)
Related Phrases
- Enzyme-mediated resistance: The general category of antibiotic resistance to which penicillinase activity belongs.
- Antibiotic inactivation: The process carried out by penicillinase.
Noun
-
enzyme produced by certain bacteria that inactivates penicillin and results in resistance to that antibiotic
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