Cephalosporin, hydrolysis

Fig. 5.3 The active site of the metallo-P-lactamase from B. fragilis and the proposed mechanism of cephalosporin hydrolysis [29]...

Resistance. Resistance to the cephalosporins may result from the alteration of target pencillin-binding sites (PBPs), decreased permeabdity of the bacterial ced wad and outer membrane, or by inactivation via enzyme mediated hydrolysis of the lactam ring (80,81,138—140). This resistance can be either natural or acquired. Although resistance is often attributed speciftcady to one of these factors, in reaUty it reflects the interplay of several factors. In most instances, however, resistance results from the production of a P-lactamase enzyme, which opens the P-lactam ring as depicted in Figure 2. 

One of the major differences between penicillins and cephalosporins is the possibility for a concerted elimination of the C-3 substituent in the case of cephalosporins (6->7). There is now considerable evidence to support the idea that an increase in the ability of the C-3 substituent to act as a leaving group results in an increased reactivity of the 8-lactam carbonyl (75JMC408). Thus, both the hydrolysis rate of the 8-lactam and antibacterial activity... 

The bulky triphenylmethyl group has been used to protect a variety of amines such as amino acids, penicillins, and cephalosporins. Esters of N-trityl a-amino acids are shielded from hydrolysis and require forcing conditions for cleavage. The a-proton s also shielded from deprotonation, which means that esters elsewhere in the molecule can be selectively deprotonated. 

In these papers, the carboxylic acid to be protected was a stable, unsubstituted compound. Harsh conditions were acceptable for both formation and cleavage of the amide. Typically, a simple secondary amide is very difficult to cleave. As the pKa of the conjugate acid of an amide decreases, the rate of hydrolysis of amides derived from these amines increases. The dimethylamide of a cephalosporin was prepared as follows using 2,2 -dipyridyl disulfide. ... 

Another important enzymatic process in the production of 7-ADCA, for use in the production of semi-synthetic cephalosporins, is the hydrolysis of 7-aminocephalosporanic add (7-ACA) by the enzyme acetyl esterase. This process, again using immobilisation techniques, is illustrated in Figure 6.16. Hie deacylated product can be used, for example, as an intermediate in the production of the important oral cephalosporin cefuroxime. We will return to cephalosporin antibiotics later in this chapter. 

Benzyl- and Phenoxymethylpenicillins, Ampidllin, Carbenicillin Cephalosporin C Cephaloglycine, Cephaloridine, Cephalothin Hydrolysis Corresponding p-lactam ring cleavage products Escherichia coli Streptomyces aibus Pseudomonas aeruginosa Enterobacter cloacae Streptomyces sp. 

P-Lactamases are enzymes that hydrolyze the P-lactam ring of P-lactamantibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams and carbapenems). They are the most common cause of P-lactam resistance. Most enzymes use a serine residue in the active site that attacks the P-lactam-amid carbonyl group. The covalently formed acylester is then hydrolyzed to reactivate the P-lacta-mase and liberates the inactivated antibiotic. Metallo P-lactamases use Zn(II) bound water for hydrolysis of the P-lactam bond. P-Lactamases constitute a heterogeneous group of enzymes with differences in molecular structures, in substrate preferences and in the genetic localizations of the encoding gene (Table 1). 

In some cases enzymes can increase the rate of reaction by up to lO times. Carnell and Roberts (1997) have briefly discussed the scope of biotransformations that are used to make pharmaceuticals like penicillins, cephalosporines, erythromycin, lovastatin, cyclosporin, etc., and for food additives like citric acid, L-glutamate, and L-lysine. A very successful transformation by Zeneca has been that of benzene reduction, with Pseudomonase Putida, to dihydrocatechol and catechol the dihydro derivative is used to produce (+/-) pinitol. Fluorobenzene has been converted to fluorodihydrocatechol, an intermediate for pharmaceuticals. The highly stereo selective Bayer-Villeger reaction has been carried out with genetically engineered S-cerevisvae. Hydrolases have allowed enantioselective, and in some cases regioselective, hydrolysis of racemic esters. 

Figure 8.14 Reaction mechanism for hydrolysis of a cephalosporin by a serine 3-lactamase.

The efficacy of penicillin-type antibiotics is constrained by the ability of bacteria to induce enzymes for their destruction. In relation to this problem, Page and coworkers (Buckwell et al., 1988a,b) have studied the hydrolysis of acylated penicillins [55] and cephalosporins [56] catalysed by a bacterial /3-lactamase (Tables A6.9 and A6.10). It is noteworthy that the two series of substrates show quite different responses to changes in the length of the acyl side chain (C2 to C12). For the penicillins, which are cleaved much more efficiently, there is a broad maximum in the kinetic parameters around C5 to C7, whereas for the cephalosporins there is a linear increase in kc/KM and... 

---