Lactamases

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Enzymes that hydrolyze the β-lactam ring of antibiotics, rendering them inactive
2. Proteins produced by certain bacteria that confer resistance to β-lactam antibiotics like penicillin
3. Biological catalysts that break down lactam structures, influencing antibiotic efficacy in microbial infections

Etymology: Lactamases get their name from a chemical building block rather than from a person or an event. The "lact-" part comes from "lactam," a ring-shaped molecular structure containing a nitrogen atom bonded to a carbonyl group, and the "-ase" ending is the standard suffix for enzymes. Put together, the name simply describes an enzyme that acts on lactams. The "beta" in "β-lactam" marks where the ring sits relative to the molecule's other atoms, which is why the penicillin and cephalosporin families are called beta-lactams. The plural "lactamases" refers to the many distinct enzymes in this class, which bacteria produce to break open the beta-lactam ring and neutralise antibiotics. Each variety is usually given its own name, often based on the gene or the organism in which it was first described, so the plural covers a large and growing family.

Synonyms: beta-lactamases, enzymes