Klebsiella pneumonia strains moderately resistant to ampicillin and carbenicillin: characterization of a new β-lactamase

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 11-03, moderately resistant to ampicillin and carbenicillin, produces one constitutive β-lactamase with an isoelectric point of 7.10 and a molecular weight of 20,000±500. The enzymatic activity is directed primarily against the penicillins, ampicillin being the best substrate. Some cephalosporins are also hydrolyzed to some extent but the affinity of the enzyme for these antibiotics is low (high Km values). It has not been possible to determine whether the biogenesis of this β-lactamase is mediated by the bacterial chromosome or by a non-transferable plasmid. This β-lactamase appears to be different, on the basis of isoelectricfocusing, from an enzyme produced by the K pneumoniae strain GN422 (Sawal et al, 1973), but similar to the latter in several properties.