CARBENICILLINASE Meaning and
Definition
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Carbenicillinase is an enzyme that is responsible for the degradation or inactivation of the antibiotic carbenicillin. Also known as penicillinase, carbenicillinase is produced by certain bacteria as a defense mechanism against carbenicillin, which is a type of penicillin antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections.
Carbenicillinase belongs to a class of enzymes called β-lactamases, which are capable of breaking down the β-lactam ring present in the structure of carbenicillin and other penicillin antibiotics. This ring is crucial for the antibiotic's antimicrobial activity, as it binds to specific proteins involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis, ultimately leading to the inhibition of bacterial growth.
The production of carbenicillinase poses a significant clinical challenge, as bacteria that produce this enzyme become resistant to carbenicillin and other similar antibiotics. This can render the antibiotic ineffective in treating the bacterial infection, leading to treatment failure.
To combat the presence of carbenicillinase, the development of new antibiotics with modified structures or the use of β-lactamase inhibitors, such as clavulanic acid, has been explored. These inhibitors prevent the action of carbenicillinase by binding to and inactivating the enzyme, allowing carbenicillin to effectively target and inhibit bacterial growth once again.
In conclusion, carbenicillinase is an enzyme that is responsible for the degradation of carbenicillin, an antibiotic commonly used for bacterial infections. Its production by bacteria poses a challenge to successful antibiotic treatment, leading to the exploration of alternative antibiotics or the use of β-lactamase inhibitors.
Common Misspellings for CARBENICILLINASE
- xarbenicillinase
- varbenicillinase
- farbenicillinase
- darbenicillinase
- czrbenicillinase
- csrbenicillinase
- cwrbenicillinase
- cqrbenicillinase
- caebenicillinase
- cadbenicillinase
- cafbenicillinase
- catbenicillinase
- ca5benicillinase
- ca4benicillinase
- carvenicillinase
- carnenicillinase
- carhenicillinase
- cargenicillinase
- carbwnicillinase
- carbsnicillinase
Etymology of CARBENICILLINASE
The word "carbenicillinase" is derived from a combination of two main components: "carbenicillin" and "ase".
- "Carbenicillin" is an antibiotic drug that was developed in the 1960s and used to treat bacterial infections. It belongs to the group of penicillin derivatives, and the word itself comes from a combination of "carbamyl" and "penicillin". "Carbamyl" refers to the chemical group carbamate (-NH-CO-NH2), while "penicillin" refers to the class of antibiotics discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming.
- The suffix "-ase" is added to the root of a word to indicate an enzyme. In this case, "carbenicillinase" refers to an enzyme that can break down or degrade carbenicillin.
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