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Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1977 January; 11(1): 142-146
Copyright © 1977 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Beta-Lactamase Activity in Strains of Bacteroides melaninogenicus and Bacteroides oralis

¹ Anaerobe Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

ABSTRACT

ß-Lactamase from strains of Bacteroides melaninogenicus and Bacteroides oralis hydrolyzed penicillin more rapidly than ampicillin or carbenicillin. Cephalothin and a chromogenic cephalosporin (87/312) were also hydrolyzed by the enzyme. Activity was found only in ß-lactam-resistant strains, but there was considerable variation in activity among strains having the same minimal inhibitory concentrations of antibiotic. ß-Lactamase activity was cell bound and appeared to be tightly associated with the cell envelope since detergents were required to elute this activity.