Advances in lactamases from microbes-A Review

Abstract:

Abstract: γ-Lactamase belongs to the amidase. The (+) γ-lactamses can be applied in the kinetic resolution of racemic γ-lactam, which can produce (-) γ-lactam efficiently. The (-) γ-lactam enantiomer is an important synthon for the synthesis of Carbocyclic Nucleosides. Up to now 7 strains of microbes were reported that produced γ-lactamses. The crystal structure of (-) lactamase from Aureoacterium sp. was resoluted, and the catalytic mechanism based on the structure data analysis was alike with the α/β hydrolase family. However, no structure data and mechanism theory is available for (+) lactamase till now. The future works focus on protein engineering of the γ-lactamase to improve the catalysis of the protein, elucidation of the catalytic mechanism of the γ-lactamase and the functions of the γ-lactamase in vivo.