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Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 July; 10(1): 106-111
Copyright © 1976 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Beta-Lactamase Activity in Anaerobic Bacteria

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29401

ABSTRACT

A diverse group of anaerobic bacteria representing a spectrum of resistance to ß-lactam antibiotics was studied to characterize their ß-lactamase activity and relate it to resistance. The Bacteroides fragilis organisms had moderate resistance and produced a cephalosporinase with low activity. The Clostridium ramosum was intermediate in resistance and had intermediate, inducible ß-lactamase activity. The B. clostridiiformis organism was highly resistant, produced a potent inducible penicillinase, and had a barrier to the penicillin substrates. Only the ß-lactamase of C. ramosum fit Richmond's classification (class IV). Although there was a rough correlation between ß-lactamase activity and antibiotic resistance, other mechanisms are undoubtedly involved in determining resistance levels.